Wednesday, October 4, 2017

Meet Mrs McTartan...The Scary Scottish Witch

Hi folks...crikey it's hard to believe it's October already, the month when we kiss goodbye to Summer (still waiting for it to arrive here if I'm honest), the month that heralds the beginning of Autumn, when the leaves change colour and fall from the trees, the month when the clocks change and it's pitch dark when I hop out of bed, the month that's associated with Halloween.
Halloween has never been a big thing in the UK although it is becoming more popular and the supermarkets are starting to fill up with pumpkins in all shapes and sizes. Back in the day, many many spooky moons ago, instead of Trick or Treat, it was called Penny For The Guy when all the neighbourhood kids would dress up and go guising or in other words, knocking on doors and begging for treats or money to buy fireworks in anticipation of Bonfire Night on 5th November, when we made a Guy Fawkes figure and burned him on the bonfire for his dastardly attempt to blow up Parliament. And I'm sure that none of us had ever heard of such a thing as a pumpkin, our lanterns were hollowed out from neeps (or turnips if you're not from my neck of the woods), sourced illegally from a local farmer's field and I have happy memories of evenings spent at the kitchen table with my Dad armed with spoons and a knife to create the eyes, nose and mouth with lots of scary looking teeth, a hollow for the candle to sit in (in this day and age Health and Safety would have a field day with that one), threading string to carry it and replacing the top to make a lid. And not so fond memories of the smell which lingered in the kitchen for weeks.
So after that little stroll down Memory Lane, I'm sharing a Halloween card with a "just for fun" Scottish twist featuring Tim Holtz/Sizzix Witchcraft Thinlits and a gorgeous plaid paper from the new Christmas Paper Stash...time for you to meet Mrs McTartan the Scary Scottish Witch and McTavish her equally scary cat.
this card was inspired by my obsession/addiction...call it what you will...with this gorgeous Plaid Design Tape in Tim's new Idea-ology Christmas collection making the perfect Scottish Tartan border...
with more than a sprinkling of the glittery stuff...
and when you're already covered from head to toe in Black Soot Distress Glitter you just have to embrace it and run with it so I'll be back tomorrow with slightly different Tim Holtz/Sizzix Thinlits Halloween cards with a Glittery Scottish Twist.
In the meantime those falling Autummn leaves are making our morning doggy strolls a rather slippery affair for this two-legged human so it's time to bring my faithful old wellies in from their hibernation in the garage but before I dip my toes in...I will be checking, double checking and checking again just to make sure that no scary spiders have decided to take up residence for the winter within.
Toodle-oo for now
Hugs Kath xxx

12 comments:

  1. So true Kath l think we missed summer here also! your card is amazing l love the image and the cat so fitting for Halloween l remeber back in the days when it was penny for the guy l used to dress mine up with my fathers old pants and got plenty of pennies too! ooh they where the days ...........Autumn is truly here in my neck of the woods l am surrounded by trees not only in my garden but most of the neighbours too so it's wellingtons for me too! take care sending lots of love x

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  2. Awesome card Kath!!!! love the tartan plaid witch and the awesome background! Halloween is a fun time for all!

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  3. Those were the days making a Halloween lantern out of a turnip (Northumbrian lass) took ages to scoop the turnip out and we used to eat quite a bit of it too! Great card Kath 😉

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  4. I so remember the days of guising - trick or treat never existed. I love your tartan witch card. Tfs.

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  5. This is fabulous Kath! I love the tartan on the witch! Good luck with the spiders, they are a pest this time of year!
    Hugs
    Linda xxx

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  6. You reminded me of stories my Dad used to tell of his growing up in Aberdeen - I could never get my head around carving out of neeps... having grown up with pumpkins, but the stories were great fun to listen to.

    Mrs McTartan is wonderful and I just love McTavish the cat, he is a little scarier than she is but I love them both. Oh, the only good spider is one made by Mr Holtz, they don't move or jump - lol! Hugs, Anne xxx

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  7. Love your "MacWitch" - she looks fabulous.
    I was waiting for the Indian Summer that was promised for September but I think that well & truly missed the UK.
    We've had some very strange spiders down in this neck of the woods this year - hope you don't find any lodgers in your willies.
    Toni xx

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  8. Love the Witch Kath that tartan works wonders for her....
    So glad you too remember the days of a hollowed out swede or the like, never saw a pumpkin until I was an adult...haha.....as for the spiders, my whole house is smelling of peppermint, it better work or there will be screams....haha....x

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  9. loving Mrs McTartan & McTavis the cat Kath xx Those new TH papers look amazing and I love how you used them on that fabulous witch xx I have lots of great Halloween memories too carving out neeps and when outfits were handmade or put together using something already owned.....never bought!!!
    Looking forward to seeing your next post xx
    take care when out with Buddy

    hugs Annie xx

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  10. this is just so much fun!! and I also always check my garden shoes which I leave on the back porch LOL. My toes do not want to meet a creepy crawly ha ha.

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  11. I found a dead mouse in my gardening shoe in the garage one year. It would have been perfect for Halloween, but was in the spring!
    I think the tartan clad witch is perfect! :)

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