Haunted Design House

THE BAT by Theodore Roethke   By day the bat is cousin to the mouse. He likes the attic of an aging house. His fingers make a hat about his head. His pulse beat is so slow we think him dead. He loops in crazy figures half the night Among the trees that face the corner light. But when he brushes up against a screen, We are afraid of what our eyes have seen: For something is amiss or out of place When mice with wings can wear a human face.     This week the challenge is to use bats as your m(o)use.   I have been busy working on a set of Hallowe'en ornaments, and just so happen to have sculpted a bat for the set. How timely.   As you can see, this a creepy cute bat. Or maybe it's just a black hairless hamster, with wings.  I sculpted him out of polymer clay and used glass beads for the eyes. I used a satin finish glaze for the wings, nose and ears, to give them a different, leathery-type texture.  He...

 *Please see the sidebar for HDH Macabre Monday Rules* ( Note: entries not following the guidelines are not eligible for prizes or badges ) Okay, macabre fans ... your challenge this week: HDH154 "Bats in the Belfry" You are to create a dark, Gothic, or Halloween -based art piece that has anything to do with a bats.  Think belfries, church steeples and all round general battiness!     Let's see what batty madness the minions have created from the minds of madness: Sultana of the Sinister Lynx :  Creepy Cricut Cween  Donna : The Contagion of Corrosion Croms : Agent of the Abominable Andrea: Menace of the Monstrous Mark : Temptress of Terror - Teri : Imp of Insanity Ike : Check back on Wednesday for more Minion batty surprises .  Remeber the upcoming challenges for this month are in the sidebar.

Here is quick look at an elusive cryptid , the Chupacabra .   The Chupacabra or Chupacabras ( Spanish pronunciation: from chupar "to suck" and cabra "goat", literally "goat sucker") is a legendary cryptid rumored to inhabit parts of the Americas. It is associated more recently with sightings of an allegedly unknown animal in Puerto Rico (where these sightings were first reported), Mexico, and the US, especially in the later's Latin American communities. The name comes from the animal's reported habit of attacking and drinking the blood of livestock, especially goats.   Awww! He doesn't look very scary or intimidating. But then again, I'm not a goat. He even brings his own snacks.  I fashioned him out of polymer clay. The eyes were supposed to appear large and able to see well in the dark. My Chupa is little light sensitive, and could probably benefit from corrective lenses. His horns (and tail)...

****   If you played along with our "Oh my gourd!" challenge **** you may be one of six lucky winners . Check this post to see if you won. So far, only half the winners have responded. You only have until this Sunday, the 7th to claim your prize. We need to get them posted in time for the holiday!!     So, have you heard that Cryptocurium is our Macabre Monday sponsor this week? What is Cryptocurium , you ask? Well, it's a candy store that caters to the Lovecraftian epicurean sweet tooth .    Check out this post to see all the sweet pics and details.    I am still working on my Cryptid for this week, so I'll just get to the meat of the post and announce the Gruesome Twosome from last week's Chain me up, chain me down challenge.   Congratulations to   Kristy Lee   and   Nancy   Thank you to everyone who plays along with us every week. It's comfort...

 *Please see the sidebar for HDH Macabre Monday Rules* ( Note: entries not following the guidelines are not eligible for prizes or badges ) Okay, macabre fans ... your challenge this week: HDH153 "Creepy Cryptids" You are to create a dark, Gothic, or Halloween -based art piece that has something to do with   a creature or plant whose existence has been suggested but is unrecognized by scientific consensus and often regarded as highly unlikely!  Think Loch Ness Monster, Yeti, even Faeries. A link here gives a more detailed explanation and a list of possibilities.  Your only boundaries are your imagination. CRYPTOCURIUM is a New Jersey based custom artwork, chocolate and candy maker committed to producing “handmade and edible art” of the highest quality. Utilizing legends and lore, stories and the Lovecraft Mythos, CRYPTOCURIUM transforms the strange and the macabre into limited edition artwork and terrifying treats ...

This week the challenge theme is "Chain me up, Chain me down". Incorporate chains into your project . Simple.   I chose to work with a favorite image from Rick St. Dennis (Uncle Rick) called, "Screaming Me Me" .   I made an ATC using chains to imprison my little fiend, here. I fussy cut MeMe , and then added him to a Stickled and embossed spider web. I opened the links of the chain and put his little wrists in to make it official. I added a little inspirational saying to convey hope. I'm nice like that.     Now let's see what magical mystery Mark has created.   Hmmm... looks old and rusted. And there is a chain and lock, which could mean a treasure or something otherworldly could be inside.      According to Mark, this belonged to his world renowned, Monster Hunting Grandad. How cool.    I bet you have never seen a real, Merman heart before. ...

  *Please see the sidebar for HDH Macabre Monday Rules* ( Note: entries not following the guidelines are not eligible for prizes or badges ) Okay, macabre fans ... your challenge this week: HDH152 "Chain me up, Chain me down" You are to create a dark, Gothic, or Halloween -based art piece that has something to do with chains, shackles, bondage . Kinky!! Let's see some inspirational examples from the Minions to get your mojo flowin'.      September Guest DT Lady Brayton :   Sultana of the Sinister Lynx :        Creepy Cricut Cween: Donna : The Contagion of Corrosion Croms : Temptress of Terror Teri : The Freak of the Formidable Fiona :   Check back on Wednesday for more Minion inspiration and the announcing of the winners from both of the last challenges. Thanks for your patience.