We had 13 different commenters on posts last week (how lucky is that?), and the great oracle at random.org spat back number 3 when queried.

That means JoAsakura wins! Wheee! (Jo, please e-mail me with your mailing address.)

Thanks to everyone who commented last week!

ThreadBanger has posted this video tutorial for a costume based on Tim Burton’s Mad Hatter.

There’s still time before Halloween! Hurry!

(via CRAFT)

Cthulhu PSA – The more you know!

Crafts for Wiccans – Samhain project roundup from Craftster.

The Bone Room – Curious Expeditions visits an amazing store in Berkeley.

Historical Tweets – This one made me giggle.

The Most Creepy Stuff on the Web – Highly debatable. Still, there’s probably one or two things on this list that everyone should find pretty spooky.

Halloween Cross Stitch Kit – New kit from Subversive Cross Stitch with four patterns and glow-in-the-dark floss. (Some patterns contain naughty words, so potentially NSFW, I guess.)

8 Real-Life Themed Weddings – The Clown one is just creepy.

The Last Ride – Lie down in a coffin for a simulated ride to the graveyard, complete with burial. You never see this kind of thing at Disneyland.

Zombies for Zombies – Ghoul Friday reviews this book.

Tim Burton’s Tricks & Treats – Haute Macabre has a photo shoot from Harper’s Bazaar which includes models dressed as some of Burton’s most famous characters.

Knit Alien Facehugger – Complete with pattern!

Two from Dave Lowe:
Halloween How-tos – A roundup of his tutorials
Haunted Horseshoe – I love how simple yet effective this decoration is.

I mentioned the Dead Fairy Hoax a while back, opining that something similar might be made using a miniature skeleton as a base. I finally decided to take a crack at making one, and I have to say that I’m rather pleased at how it turned out.

The project was much less difficult than I’d feared; there are a fair number of steps, but each individual one is pretty easy. (Also, it’s supposed to be a half-rotted corpse; if you mess something up, how would anybody know?)

If you’d like to try your hand at something similar, I’ve posted a tutorial here.

Jones Soda has long amused me for their limited-edition flavors: They’re the ones who produce candy corn soda for Halloween and a turkey-and-gravy-flavored one for Thanksgiving (this has always left me speechless).

They currently have a couple of limited-edition variety packs based on Magic: The Gathering and Dungeons and Dragons, so you can offer your guests Illithid Brain Juice, Eldrich Blast, or Necromancer’s Tonic.

Even if you don’t play the games, the artwork is lovely and would be a great addition to a Halloween party.

Jones also allows you, incidentally, to personalize soda labels with an uploaded photo, making it an interesting possibility for weddings or parties.

Hey, look! We’ve got a new logo and a new color scheme! Whee!

We’ve completely revamped the Shadow Manor store and decided to integrate the blog a little more uniformly into the rest of the site.

We’re very excited about the new store: The catalog is much easier to navigate, we’ve added tons of new products, and we’re offering custom items like veils and guestbooks.

We’re always on the lookout for new suppliers, particularly for goth bridal merchandise, so if you know of someone wonderful whose wares we should be offering, let us know in the comments!

To celebrate the launch of the new store, anyone who comments on a post from now until next Monday will be entered into a drawing to win a prize.

Whee!!!

I am totally in love with this owl. Artist Ann Wood made him from the remains of an antique bodice, and I adore his tattered elegance.

Wood apparently makes something of a minor specialty out of fabric birds, many sewn from vintage fabrics. Here’s another owl, Pecksniff, some adorable bird cake toppers, and a gorgeous raven.

Chillingworth is definitely my favorite, though. He could totally kick Hedwig’s ass.

(via CRAFT)

Didn’t see that coming.

Unhappily Ever After Party – Creepy Cupcakes has some great ideas for a party theme.

The Ultimate in Sustainable Toys – Oh, gah.

How to Make Clove Cigarettes – Flavored tobacco has been banned in the U.S.; catastrophegirl has posted instructions for making homemade kretek. I think smoking is a very bad habit, indeed, but I’ll happily do my little bit for civil disobedience.

Blood Lamp – Single-use lamp that’s powered by a few drops of blood.

Heineken Halloween – This ad amused me unduly.

The House of Blood Mental Floss roundup of blood-themed decorative items. (Hat tip to Fiend4Halloween)

Jack the Ripper’s Identity Revealed – Maybe. There’s a new contender who’ll be explored in an upcoming documentary.

Zombie Survival Box – This would be an awesome gift for a kid. (Near the bottom of the post.)

Insect Lab – Real insects customized with clock parts and other steampunky goodness. Expensive, but lovely. (Hat tip to Kitten Herder)

Keep it 31 – A large US retailer is petitioning to have Halloween changed to a permanent Saturday date. There’s a petition to try and block that. Unbelievable.

Poe Funeral Do-Over – With John Astin as emcee. I feel a road trip coming on.

Just try to get this song out of your head. Just try.

(Also, there’s a CD available. Heh.)

(via Cynical-C)

Ignore all of the tutorial posts that are showing up. I’m doing some housecleaning and moving stuff around. Nothing to see here. Move along.