Beware Of The Dollar Store

I try to stay away from the dollar store. Anyone with any creative impulse can always find something with 'potenial' - and look! It's only a dollar! Well, I have an office full of things with supposed potential. I wonder what it would be like to get back all that space and return all the money to my pocket. Now that would be REAL potential! Anyway, there is, on occasion, something you just can't pass up, which is what happened when my friend Candy went to her local dollar store. And few days later, a box arrived at my house full of these:

Sure, I could use them for their intended purpose and been the envy of one and all - heck, I'd probably stop traffic - but once I found out they came apart, well, their true potential became apparent.

So I made Candy a Halloween themed thank you gift. Spoiler alert! If you're name is Candy and you sent me skeleton straws, there's a package waiting for you in Houston. If you want to be surprised, stop reading now!

There's no way she's going to stop reading.

I took these photos on a sunny day and there was a bright glare but I didn't notice until I put the pics in iphoto which was the day AFTER I sent these off in the mail. Should have checked earlier! Oh well... These were the best of the lot.

I used regular tags and covered them with Memory Box paper. The letters were cut out freehand and outlined with Stickles. I also cut out the skeletons - slow, annoying, detailed work - and in some cases, I cut off limbs in order to reposition them like the one below.

I made another one for my friend Terry who always decorates for Halloween.

And some close-ups...

This could have just as easily been done with a pennant die cut but I don't have one (and don't want one) and as fate would have it, I have plenty of tags. Which reminds me... stay tuned for The 6 Tags of Texmas coming soon.

Soon-ish. Maybe after Hallween. I'll need some time to work up some enthusiasm for the holidays.

Comments

[Myrna]

Mark
I don't "do" Halloween but your creations are marvelous. You and Curt blow me away with what you come up with.
Myrna

[Cheryl Darrow]

I was totally inspired by your tags. But where is the distressing and the required zipper flower that all tags must have in order to be considered tags or art. I am very upset that you didn't use the required ephemera for something so iconic as a tag. And where is the metal, it's nothing if it doesn't have metal on it!
I'm off to the dollar store to buy some for a party....too cute. Thanks Mark.

[Curt O'Brien]

I knew you were my kind of guy! This Halloween project is truly awesome. Love the "free hand" cut out letters. You amaze me. Such fun stuff, and now I feel the need to go to my local $1 store. . .Best, Curt