Fa la la la braaaaaaaains!

As the Christmas season comes upon us yet again, I am overwhelmed with things I planned on getting done but ran out of time and didn't. Nothing new there.
But I did manage to get a tree skirt made!

 I posted the pattern on Etsy but had a lot of requests for me to sell the actual tree skirt. Maybe next year.
Unfortunately, the tree skirt will cost a pretty penny because I used chunky wool and a lot of it.
I also made a zombie Santa:

He sold pretty fast. If I get a chance before Christmas, I'll have to make another one.
In need of a stocking stuffer? How about a zombie head key chain?

I plan on making a bunch of these guys since they don't take me long. And I have a bunch of key chain parts to use up. So if anyone is interested, check out my Etsy store.
I am excited that I now know a secret and can make a bunch of stuff I couldn't before. Let me explain.
My husband and I went to the doctor today and found out that we are having a baby boy. So now I can knit and crochet a bunch of baby boy stuff. I was kind of hoping for a girl because there are too many boys on my husband's side of the family (he has two brothers and two nephews), but that's okay because we like boys too :) I just have to resist the urge to put him in pink ruffled baby bloomers...
If anyone wants to know, no we don't have any names yet because boy names are really hard to think of for us, but once we decide we will probably keep that a secret. It just keeps us from second guessing ourselves in case others don't like the name.
I am due April 22nd and we haven't gotten anything done. Doh! Oh well. At least we can pick out baby stuff now.
So, that's my update for now. Keep checking the store for new zombie head key chains!
Have a very Merry Christmas and Happy Holidays!

Autumn goodies and early Christmas goodies

It definitely has been feeling like Autumn around here. I've been enjoying my husband's ginger pumpkin bisque.

 

This is the third day in a row that I've been eating it and it is still just as yummy as ever.

I've been knitting up a tiny garden of pumpkins:

 

I have no idea what I am going to do with them but they are adorable.

I have also been perusing my favorite blogs to get inspiration. One of them is called A Beautiful Mess by Elsie Larson (formerly Elsie Flannigan) and found a cute tutorial for garlands. 

The one that caught my eye was the pom-pom garland. I just happened to have four different sized pom-pom makers and decided to make a garland for our window. Here's my version:

 Unfortunately, the pictures aren't that great but you get the idea.

I am trying trying to get some Christmas stuff made before December despite the nagging feeling that Christmas needs to wait until after Thanksgiving. But it's ok because people need time if they are going to make their Christmas decorations ;)

Anyway, I made a Christmas tree skirt!

 It's almost like a granny square blanket.

I am thinking of posting the pattern for sale on Etsy. 

When I actually get our Christmas decorations up, I will take pictures. I am making a home made Christmas this year, meaning all our decorations (except for lights of course) are handmade.

I have a very cute helper to help me get all this stuff done:

I think he might need some handmade decorations himself ;) I'll get right on that.

Anyway, I have more Christmas ideas in the making and will try to get them out as soon as possible. I am, however, going to visit my Mom's side of the family in Arizona next week and am considering closing the store just for a short while, but I'm not sure yet. I just know I am not going to be able to send out anything until the 28th of November.

Before you robbers out there get any funny ideas, my husband is not going with me to Arizona so he will be there to protect my house. As so will my ferocious guard dog, Gus (see picture above) and my security system, of course.

I hope that everyone has a great Thanksgiving! I am thankful for my wonderful readers, my friends and family, the chance to try and be my own boss and for the special gift that's coming to us next year (sorry, it's a surprise) ;)

If you can, leave me a note and let me know what you think about the tree skirt! Thanks everyone! 

Happy Holidays!

Exciting news!!

Howdy howdy!!
My favorite time of year is coming soon and I have a lot of exciting news coming up!
First up is that I am going to be selling my zombies at the 13th Floor Haunted House in Denver! It's one of the best haunted houses in Colorado, along with the Asylum where my lovely husband Jesse works. If you go to the website, you can catch a glimpse of him ;)

There he is!

Here he is again

and again...

I swear, he's a really sweet person in real life ;)
If you get a chance, check out both haunted houses. They are the best!
Next, I am going to be involved in another art show -
Bogeyman at the Macspa
The opening reception is on October 6th from 6-9 and there is a bonus "Afraid of the Dark" reception on October 22nd from 10-2 before the zombie crawl. Come check it out!
I will also have a semi-solo show at Dazzle Restaurant and Lounge with my friends from In Case of Attack, but I haven't gotten all the details of that show yet. Hopefully I will soon, and I'll let you know :)
Also, I received an email informing me that my zombies have been accepted into Stuffed Magazine!

Stuffed is an awesome magazine featuring adorable handmade plushies.

So cute!
I was honestly a little worried that my zombies would be too gory for the magazine, but apparently not!
They will be featured in the January 2012 edition of Stuffed, so check it out! I am so excited!
Hopefully I will be able to post more often, but right now I need to make a ton of zombies.
Thanks for reading!!
Happy Autumn!!
Cori

Making Christmas...and Halloween...and cousin zombie

Hello there!
What's new?
I haven't had much time lately to work. Last Saturday we were invited to seven different events. We only made it to two and a half :P
My Dad has had to undergo a couple of surgeries the last couple of weeks and since I am out of work right now, I have been helping my Mom keep an eye on him and make sure he doesn't try to drive or anything. He's doing good, though. He's healing up nicely.
I am getting Halloween/Christmas fever. I have been thinking of wonderful things to make for Christmas decorations and plan on making and selling a tree skirt pattern.
These were on my Etsy email this morning:

Lord Mock's 3x3 Votive Candle Goddess Pentagram Holder


Zombies Love Brains Necklace


Never Trust the Living

For my friends who just had a baby:

Fall Pumpkin Bib

I am the first one to admit that I am a giant nerd. As if I needed more proof, I ordered this shirt today:


Hogwarts Alumni
I am very excited :)

This book looks pretty interesting:


The Beaded Edge
Assuming you like to crochet and do bead work. Of course I have no need for it at the moment.

Well, my aunt Janine has commissioned me for a very special gift for my cousin for his birthday and since I'm pretty sure he doesn't read this blog, I feel safe saying that it's a custom zombie of himself. I have the head done and should probably finish him up today so I will say adieu for now. Have a great Wednesday!
Loves,
Cori

Free Pattern: Mushroom

Hello my lovely readers!
Today I am going to give away my first free pattern. I am going to assume you already have the basic crochet knowledge, but if you don't there are many references online you can check out.
Anyway here we go.
Our first free pattern is a mushroom:

Mushroom

Dark brown and beige yarn (I used acrylic worsted weight yarn)
Size F hook (or size to get the right gauge)
Polyfil stuffing
Unless it says otherwise, always crochet in both loops

Row 1 - With dark brown yarn, make 6 sc in magic ring. Place st marker in the last st (6)
Row 2 - (Inc, sc) across (9)
Row 3 - (Inc, 2 sc) across (12)
Row 4 - (Inc, 3 sc) across (15)
Row 5 - (Inc, 4 sc) across (18)
Row 6 - (Inc, 5 sc) across (21)
Row 7 - (Inc, 6 sc) across (24)
Row 8 - In back loops only (Dec, sc) across (16)
Row 9 - Dec across (8) Stuff with polyfil
Row 10 - Break off yarn and sew shut
Row 11 - With beige yarn, pick up 12 st around and under cap to start stem. Place st marker in last st (12)
Row 12 ~ 14 - Crochet in a round. Sc across. Stuff mushroom (12)
Row 15 - In back loops only, (Dec, sc) across (4)
Row 16 - Break off yarn and sew shut

Yay mushroom!!
I hope this makes sense. Please feel free to ask if you have any questions.
I did another variation using red yarn and white felt circles:
Enjoy! Thanks for reading :)
XOXO Cori

Busy busy busy

Sorry I've been out of commission lately. I didn't sell as much as I would have liked to at the Albuquerque Comic Expo, but my friends at In Case Of Attack did pretty well.
I did get a commission from it, though -
Zombie Batman is awesome.
I attended a bachelorette party for my cousin-in-law, made 120 cupcakes for the happy couple, and attended their lovely wedding. I even made my husband a mustache so he would fit in with the groom -I also sold a zombie thanks to my exhibit at the Museum of Miniatures, Dolls and Toys.
Anyway, I have lots of ideas floating around in my brain and am trying desperately to finish up some commissions so that I don't lose that inspiration.
But I have an exciting (well, I think it's exciting) announcement to make. I have decided that I am going to start selling patterns (assuming I can make them easy for others to understand) and also do some freebies. While the zombie pattern is probably too hard for anyone else but me to understand since I've made up a lot of the stitches for the pattern, I plan on doing a lot of other things.
So, stay tuned and hopefully I can get my first free pattern out soon and get a lot more accomplished to share.
Thanks for reading!

Small update

I got a moment and thought I would send a small update.
I'm finally done with my receptionist job and can focus on my store full time. Yay!!
I ended up getting two commissions from the Horror Convention. The first request was a zombie armadillo:

The second was a zombie family:
The animals turned out really cute and I'm going to have to make more for the shop :)
The hardest part, I think, will be keeping myself on a schedule and not getting burned out on making zombies. But I have ideas for non-zombie related items ;)
But last Friday I sold two zombies. Keep your fingers crossed for me!
Time to get back to work,
Cori

2011 World Horror Convention and the Denver Museum of Miniatures, Dolls and Toys exhibit

My lovely friends from In Case of Attack and I recently went to Austin, TX for the 2011 World Horror Convention.
Unfortunately, I didn't take as many pictures as I had meant to but I still got a few good ones.
Here is our table at the convention:

We had some awesome neighbors, such as the guys from Austin Books & Comics and body artists from On the Spot who painted this lovely flesh wound for me:

She even added bruises (even though I bruise quite nicely on my own).

Sunday we go to sit in on a writer's panel:

Unfortunately I can't remember the authors' names except for Joe McKinney on the right and Joe Lansdale hiding on the left behind the guy in the black hoody.

I didn't get a picture, but Dustin and I met Steve Niles, author of 30 Days of Night and many other awesome things, and he signed posters for us.

Deyanna does her own crocheted creations called Frankenweenies (I think that's how she spells it); being a dachshund fan, of course she had to made little crocheted weenie dogs.
This little guy was sold before he was even finished:

Friday night, we went on a bat tour with the lovely people from Dark Continents Publishing and it was so fun! Even if there weren't bats to look at, I just enjoyed being on the boat.

Here's Dustin and Deyanna, the papa and mama-to-be:

They had free beer! (Sorry Deyanna! You'll be able to drink beer again soon!)

And free cake!! Woo hoo!!!

I am attempting to upload a video of the bats flying, but not sure how well it will come out.

Anyway, we enjoyed ourselves, met some awesome people and Texas wasn't too hot, as if it knew I was coming. Thanks Texas, you're swell.

Deyanna and I are planning a trip to Albuquerque next month for the Albuquerque Comic Expo and Stan Lee will be there! Woo hoo!!

Also, the Denver Museum of Miniatures, Dolls and Toys's exhibit Colorado Made is now open and it features the work of local crafters such as myself. It will run through mid-September. Go and check it out :)

Oh, and I made a zombie armidillo as requested by a lovely customer who bought my red-head zombie at the Horror Convention. Pictures to come.

That's about it for now. Have a great weekend and Happy Mother's Day to all you awesome Moms out there!

Love you Mom!

XOXO Cori

Rain, rain, come and stay...

...my garden really needs you and it would make my day.

So here I am again, stuck at work with hardly anything to do and nothing exciting to say. This should make for an exciting blog post, eh?

Well, let's see what I can come up with, shall we?

This last weekend Jess and I were able to take the opportunity to do some much needed Spring cleaning. We rearranged our living room, bought some rugs, bought a shiny new shelf for the laundry room and cleaned out the pantry. It created a monster and now I want to tackle the entire house.

We moved in to our house in October of 2009 and still haven't completely unpacked everything. Being the crazy people we are, we decided to paint the entire house which has held things up. But we'll get there. I'll try to post some pictures of what we've gotten done so far. I'm very proud of having an (mostly) adult-looking living room for a change.

Here's a picture of my cat Jack:

This cat is an asshole. One day, for no reason whatsoever, he decided it was a good idea to pee all over my shoes. The only reason he is still alive today is because he is just so darn cute and lovable, you know, when he's not destroying my personal property by peeing all over it.

He's peed all over the carpet in our office and the sun room (Jesse can't smell it but I can and I know it's there) and I don't know how to get rid of it without ripping out the carpet and banishing him from all the other carpeted rooms. Anyone have any brilliant ideas? The only thing I can think of to do is to kill the cat (just kidding...probably).

Wow, blogger is making me feel all stabby today; stabby as in I want to stab it vicariously by stabbing my computer. Every time I try to publish something, it turns my carefully laid out paragraphs into one long run-on sentence and I can't figure out how to fix it. Please forgive me if I decide to give up and let blogger win because I am too tired and too bored to battle with it.

I came across this awesome picture the other day:


That's awesome.

(Unfortunately I don't remember where I got the picture from so I can't give it a source :P)

Things I accomplished today at work:

1. Ate breakfast

2. Put post-its on all the pictures in the office



That's about it.

Ok, I've actually accomplished eating lunch as well. I made the most delicious broccoli coleslaw EVER.

Look! It has almonds!

One of my New Year's Resolutions is to eat healthier (more often) and to drink less alcohol and caffeine. It's making me grumpy and boring.

Getting older sucks; it's actually making me want to yell at the middle schoolers by my house to "PUT ON A DAMN COAT! IT'S 42 DEGREES OUT, DUMBASS! AND ANOTHER THING: STAY OFF MY LAWN!" Sigh.

These kids today.

In the midst of making numerous amounts of baby gifts for friends and family lately and having a particularly difficult time finding the right colors, I got the brilliant idea to produce my own line of specific baby yarn. But damned if I know how to do that. Anyone know how? Anyone? Bueller?



This is a baby blanket I made for my friends, The Lamberts. It's Halloween-y.

A joke told to me by my co-worker Ed: "A man walks into a bar holding two bottles of whiskey. The man replies, 'I got these two bottles of whiskey for my wife.' The bar tender exclaims, 'That was a good trade.'" Hardy har har.

Ok, I can't think of anything else to say, so I guess I'll just stop now. I'll try to get pictures taken of my accomplishments soon because I'm excited about it and I don't care if you want to see them or not. Just kidding, I do care and hope someone else does too, otherwise I will feel like a loser.

Hope your day is more productive than mine. How many people can say that they would get more accomplished at home than at work? Probably more than I think.

Anyway, have a great Wednesday :)

Love,

Cori the lovable Curmudgeon

I solemnly swear that I am up to no good

I got another tattoo!
Yes, I do realize that I am a huge nerd but I love Harry Potter so much I couldn't resist. Especially when it has to do with the Weasley twins.
Sorry the picture isn't the greatest, but it's hard to take one of your right forearm when you are right handed and it is upside down. I'll make Jess take a better one for me later.
For those who may not have read the books or seen the movies, this quote is what you have to say to make the Marauder's Map (a magical map that shows the whole wizarding school and all the people in it) work, otherwise it looks like just a blank piece of paper. When you are done, you say "mischief managed," and the map is wiped clean. I just might have to get that tattooed somewhere else eventually.
Anyway, that's what's been going on here. Besides zombie making. My trip to Texas for the World Horror Convention is coming up here at the end of April and then I have a jury summons for early May (oh boy) which won't be nearly as exciting or fun.
Hope you have a great weekend!
XOXO Cori

Update: Shooting Gallery - The Zombie Apocalypse

Just a quick update to let everyone know that the show "Shooting Gallery" on the Outdoor Channel will be featuring a zombie themed show on March 23rd. Check it out to see my husband Jesse as the "head zombie."