9 days - Secret Reapers

First, let me apologize to the 9 people out there who viewed my blank post yesterday!  That was totally supposed to be deleted once I realized I wasn't going to be able to actually sit down to write. 

So now my secret is out - That's how all of my posts start out, 

before the month even begins!

Moving on to more relevant things..

If you have not yet experienced the fun & joy & antic ----------- ipation (yes, I watched Rocky Horror Thursday night!) of a Halloween Forum Secret Reaper, you really need to check it out!    There are several over the course of the year, but I always sign up for the "Big Reaper" in mid July and the 2nd Reaper in early September.  It's like a Secret Santa, but for Halloween!  I was assigned a "victim" to send goodies to, and I become someone else's victim. 

For my first reaping of 2016, it was the first time I'd gotten a teaser - basically 2 packages!  I'd listed items for the masquerade ball and some other things on my "likes / dislikes" post - I think she did quite well.

I wasn't sure how those masks would work on the skeletons, since they tie with ribbons.  But they're been out there thru a day & a half of gusty winds & several days of rain and they're still in place - Awesome!   The little mummy & gate are in the village.  I'm not sure how well the feathered mask would hold up outdoors, so it didn't go onto any skeletons.  

In my second package, I got some groovy ghouls, more spiders & some lovely pumpkin bread scented cubes for the tart warmer. 

The second Reaping makes the rest of us schmoes look bad.

The box I sent out was decorated, but stuffed with powder blue tissue paper, since that's all I had handy!

 

   The box was nicely decorated, and everything inside was wrapped neatly with tissue paper, then a festive ribbon, then adorned with an adorable bat!

 Maddie was going nuts over the tissue paper. 

I asked my reaper & she said her cat had been spending a lot of time in the box, so I'm not sure if catnip was involved.  Chester (my ginger cat) wasn't impressed and Daisy (the kitten) was intrigued with the box, but freaked out at the same time. 

I haven't had a chance to give this foam headstone the same treatment (plywood backing, DryLok & new paint) as all the rest did this summer, but it will get done!

 

 More creepy cloth!  One can never have too much creepy cloth. 

 These little rubber spiders were scattered all thru the box. 

The little wooden tags are destined for the apothecary.

And earrings!  If you're following me on Instagram, you'd know that I'm doing #earringoftheday because I have so many and this gives me a chance to wear them all instead of just my favorites.  

 Customized mini headstones! Love!

 This skeleton was naked, so I wrapped him in one of the ribbons. 

This headstone is actually a box and held the fangs with watermelon flavored blood. 

So cute!

There are always participation events going on over at HalloweenForum - at Christmas there's a Merry Reaper and a Winter Reaper.  There are card exchanges, pay-it-forwards all sorts of fun stuff!