I like crochet because you need so little extra to get started and create something. One hook, yarn and possibly a pattern (or at least the idea of a pattern). You can crochet granny squares, stitch them together and create almost anything. No real pattern needed, just the design.

Crochet is quite simple. There is one basic pattern, the granny square, which can be turned into a lot of different creations from slippers, purses to colourful blankets. You can get fancier with patterns and creative projects using a variety of knots/ stitches - in crochet patterns they call them chains.

I don't have a crochet hook set - it would be nice. I keep a few crochet hooks in a sewing basket with all my standard sewing and crafting things. I've never had a full set of crochet hooks. These look nice. A bamboo crochet hook is nicer than the aluminum and plastic hooks. I find the plastic type of hooks rub my fingers and my finger nails scrape on them as I'm working. The finger nail thing gives me a squick feeling. A bamboo hook doesn't do that. But, I only have one bamboo crochet hook so far.

Whether you like crochet or choose to knit or sew instead, I think everyone should have a sewing basket. It's nice just to pull it out and plan what you could make. I keep assorted odd and ends of yarn, patterns that worked out especially well, thread (old thread is much better than modern thread) and of course it's a great way to keep all your crochet or sewing gear in one place.

I have the Happy Hooker book. She has simple patterns you'd actually like to make, more than scarves and bland things offered in most guide for learning to crochet. Have a look at the crochet flowers, that's my favourite!

My favourite thing about family holidays has always been the family getting together and baking. Most holidays we made pies, bread/ rolls and the odd new-fangled concept which seemed to always work out, some how. Those days are a bit lost now as we move from the old generation into the new. But, I still like holiday baking and Halloween is one of my favourite three holidays. I like these gingerbread men because they bring something new to an old Christmas tradition and something new to Halloween. Halloween gingerbread men are a good combination. Plus, tasty treats too.

Of course, most of these are based on the zombie idea. It's so trendy these days with zombie walks popping up in so many places. Gingerbread men (gingerbread people) in the zombie style tend to come with parts missing, gore and so on. Of course, you could just eat the odd leg - but that's a bit too much like double dipping. Frowned upon.

Then there's the skeleton gingerbread guy. Will you pick out the bones first or risk just crunching them between your teeth, in real gruesome Halloween style?

Why not continue on with all the standard Halloween characters in gingerbread, the ghost, the witch, the vampire, the Frankenstein monster and the mummy too. You can get tin, some snips and create your own cookie cutter designs. If you really want to go all out with the idea of gingerbread characters for Halloween.

Decorating the gingerbread men would be a bit challenging. I wouldn't like to use a lot of black icing so I'd get creative and turn them into colourful characters. Bring in more green and orange, black isn't the only traditional Halloween colour. Why should cookies be so darkly Gothic?

Pick a recipe for a basic or simple sugar cookie. These are the type which you can roll out, cut and decorate. Not every recipe will be roller friendly so if you try a new recipe read it all the way through first. Some may need refrigeration, some may be crispy and likely to break and snap once they are baked. Martha Stewart has a basic sugar cookie recipe, but if you have a family favourite stick with that!

Ghastly, spooky, creepy ideas in cookie cutting (and decorating) for Halloween.

Decorating cookies is a great way to make your best creative notions as edible creations. Use a simple cookie recipe, cut out the cookie shapes, decorate them, bake them and share them with family, friends and whoever wears the best costume.

100 Creative Ideas

This was originally posted to HubPages. When it became mothballed due to their no-index policy I pulled it and brought here to rescue it from content scrapers and give it a second wind.

This will be my 100th post to HubPages. I actually joined years ago but didn't start writing here until last year. Still, it took awhile to write 100 posts. I almost went ahead and just posted one of the ideas I have been working on without thinking to make this post anything special. Then, I stopped. One hundred posts should be some kind of milestone. So, after considering a few ideas, I decided to post 100 creative ideas to help, inspire and push others to be creative (more creative). Yes, they are slightly slanted to women. But, I'm thinking of ideas out of my own head and that's who I am.

Enjoy the ideas. Let me know if you try a few and what kind of creative adventures and explorations you have.

1. Write your own list of 100 things.
2. Gather up all your pens and some paper. Have a pen testing party. Get rid of pens that don't still work.
3. Create a design with coffee cup rings (or tea) on a blank page.
4. Take paper and pens - find somewhere public where you can spend an hour or longer just writing whatever comes to mind.
5. Draw a dragon. It doesn't matter if you can't draw, doodle until it starts to look good.
6. Interview someone interesting, to you. Ask them what you really want to know.
7. Write a suggestion and send it to the right people.
8. Go barefoot (within reason) for at least an hour.
9. People watch.
10. Practice calligraphy. Bonus if you can use a fountain pen too.
11. Pick up a pebble, a leaf, a shell, something small from nature.
12. Start an account on Twitter and use it.
13. Try ASCII art. Images created with keyboard text.
14. Write a haiku poem.
15. Draw a map of your local area, add all the land features, streets, etc.
16. Play Scrabble with someone.
17. Leave your car at home and take the bus for one day.
18. Read out loud.
19. Write your favourite word on an index card (recipe card) then decorate it in any way you dream up.
20. Try a unique flavour of tea. The best I had was caramel.
21. Make a chain of paper dolls.
22. Write a postcard to someone, mail it.
23. Take a unique self-portrait photograph of yourself.
24. Read the newspaper and clip out one idea you can write about.
25. Try baking something: pie, cake, cheesecake.
26. Repurpose an old T-shirt in some useful way.
27. Try Snip.it - set up a topic you want to research there.
28. Paint your body. If you seldom paint your nails, try that. Otherwise, face painting, a temporary tattoo...
29. Photograph water, any kind of water: rain on a window, a puddle, water in the sink...
30. Make thumbprints and turn them into characters.
31. Try origami. Follow a pattern and see how it turns out.
32. Write at least one journal (diary) entry about your day.
33. Clean out your purse or wallet (or both). Reduce clutter in a small way.
34. Put an ice cube in a glass of water. Start writing, keep writing until the ice has melted.
35. Try a graphics software, Gimp is free, create a web banner for your blog, site or just your own name.
36. Write about your ultimate vacation: where you would go, how you would get there and what you would do.
37. Rename all the characters in whatever book you are reading now.
38. Think of something completely unacceptable to write for a woman's magazine. Write it anyway.
39. Photograph an abandoned place or thing in your area.
40. Take one photograph of anyone (not someone you know) in a public place, street photography.
41. Watch a favourite movie you haven't seen in a really long time.
42. Read about night photography and give it a try.
43. Sew on a button. If you are already a sewing diva create something with a lot of buttons.
44. Create your own bookmark.
45. Try freestyle embroidery. Embroider a square of fabric which you can sew on as a patch on jeans, a blanket, etc.
46. Invite a friend over for an unbirthday party.
47. Use crayons and draw a big picture - be a kid again.
48. Become a cartoon artist for a day.
49. Clip glossy photos from magazines and create a collage.
50. Write a fictional news story. Use the newspaper writing style and all 5 Ws - who, what, where, when, why and... how.
51. Try a crossword puzzle.
52. Crochet a granny square.
53. Get sticks and yarn to create a God's Eye pattern from the 1970's.
54. Use paperclips or dandelions (in season) to make chains you can wear.
55. Find out about mail art. Write a letter and use what you have learned about mail art.
56. Start a scrapbook for something. Not for family photos, but a collection of newspaper clippings and such which you keep together in a traditional scrapbook.
57. Write your name over and over using different fonts/ lettering each time.
58. Make your own personal time capsule to be opened more than a year from now.
59. Recycle newspaper by trying paper mache.
60. Learn how to tie a sailor's knot of some kind.
61. In winter make a snow angel, in summer try a sand angel, or something else you can lie in and make an impression upon.
62. Make Jello, pick a few colours, add the cubes to a large bowl and squish it all with your toes.
63. Repurpose all those unmatched socks. Sock puppets are easy, what else can you do with them?
64. Write out your favourite quote (or find one) and share it with someone else.
65. Settle in somewhere nice outside and try bird watching.
66. Turn something you like to cook or bake into an actual recipe, with measured ingredients and instructions for a beginner cook.
67. See how far back you can go with your family tree, without peeking at anything you have already written/ printed out.
68. Give yourself a ribbon for 'World's Greatest...'make it out of ribbon, paper, whatever you have on hand.
69. Read one non-fiction book from the dust bunny collection on your bookshelves.
70. Draw happy faces. Keep drawing them with different expressions until you run out of ideas.
71. Go without your watch for a day. Ask other people the time or find a clock in stores, on the street, etc.
72. Watch for little lost things in the street, sidewalk, etc. What can you find when you really look?
73. String together different sized coloured beads and see what patterns you can make.
74. Play with the sand, the snow, a pile of leaves, whatever is in season.
75. Try some of the other mystery settings on your camera. You might like them.
76. Design your own business card, even if you don't have a business.
77. Back up your computer files. See what you forgot you had. Save the important stuff to a DVD.
78. Write the dedication for a book you haven't written yet.
79. How would you sell ice to people living in the Arctic?
80. Get sidewalk chalk and remember the world of chalk drawings.
81. How many different kind of shadow animals can you make?
82. Play with an ink pad and rubber stamps.
83. Make doll clothes. They can be for paper dolls if you don't sew.
84. Try to fold a better paper airplane.
85. Bake and decorate cookies or cupcakes.
86. Use a small mirror to write secret messages or draw backwards pictures.
87. Draw a family of stick people, add pets, the family car and a house too.
88. Draw or sketch or doodle something you can't see.
89. Get big sized paper and take crayons to the cemetery. Make cemetery stone etchings. (Don't use stones which look fragile).
90. Create a connect the dots game for kids.
91. Make a meal based on one colour, try to keep every food/ dish one colour.
92. Make a list of everything you smell.
93. Trace your hand and then draw all the lines in your palm.
94. Try storytelling. Or just write a complete nonsense story for fun.
95. Collect random words and pull them together into a story.
96. Write a story using less than 50 words, flash fiction.
97. Paint something.
98. Draw a flower.
99. Cut out paper snowflakes.
100. Plant something. Use a flower pot or container of some kind if you don't have garden space outside.

I think of my Grandmother when I see the old, vintage Raggedy Ann. One Christmas she gave me the book of Raggedy Ann Stories at just the time when I was the age to treasure them. Even all these years later I still prefer those original Raggedy Ann stories, illustrations and dolls to the new versions.

That year my Mother sewed up a Raggedy Ann doll as a surprise for me, though she gave her grey hair and still wonders why she did that. I have kept that doll for a long time. I still pick up a baby outfit at thrift stores so I can dress her up.

I've lost the book from my Grandmother. We moved around quite a bit so it likely wandered off and didn't get packed up. Now and then I see a copy of the same book, new editions, at the stores but it just isn't the same. I wonder what happens to lost books? Maybe it found a new home with another girl. I hope so.

The vintage Raggedy Ann is still my favourite, even though I love the holiday designs for Christmas, Halloween and other holidays. You can see a lot of new styles, some pretty odd looking, if you search online. The original design was copied often and given a new identity even as it was adapted for companies like Precious Moments.

If you have ever wondered why the odd Raggedy Ann doll has that double loop of hair on top of her head.. well I don't know either. But, I do know that double loop of hair was how Johnny Gruelle originally created the doll in the illustrations of his Raggedy Ann stories.

Is there someone you would like to sew a Raggedy Ann and/ or Andy doll for this Christmas? They do look really great under the Christmas tree, or in the branches on Christmas Eve. Sew a Christmas costume for the dolls if you want to get that extra festive look.

If you do sew up a Raggedy Ann, don't forget to give her the embroidered "I love you" heart on her chest.

Rogue taxidermy is the mixed media art of using stuffed and mounted animals which do not have real animal counterparts. Rogue taxidermy is mix and match (with accessories added) to create an artistic rendering of obscure, weird, creepy, mutant, and unique creatures to be put on display.

Many taxidermists do not consider this true taxidermy.

Taxidermy itself isn't for everyone. When it comes to rogue taxidermy especialy, there will be people who get squeamish and don't want to look and there will be people who get curious and just have to look. Then there are the people who think the more hideous the creations are the better they are.

The showmanship of oddities, mutation natural adaptation and displays of curiosity through use of taxidermy with animals. A creepy and odd hobby to some. Dark humour to others. Then there are those who just like to collect them and put them on display.

Beast Blender - where you can create your own curious creation.

If you aren't grossed out by some of the weirder creations... think about it. What if you could create an animal. I think this is part of the attraction of rogue taxidermy. Turning a slow, plodding animal like a turtle into a flying creature with light, colourful wings to take it to new heights and let it become something new, more than it was or could ever have been naturally.

In your mind, combine elements, features and parts of various animals and come up with a new creation, something better than the original version. Or, a creation which shows a sense of humour, like pigs that could fly.

The Legend of the Jackalope

What may be the most famous creation with rogue taxidermy is the jackalope.

According to legend and lore, the jackalope is the product of a male jackrabbit and a female antelope.Thought to be extinct, there are still reports of jackalope sightings. Jackalopes were known to be aggressive, often called the "warrior rabbit", using its antlers to fight.

Jackalopes were said to love music. They could mimic human sounds and noises and would sing along with the cowboys around the camp fires at night.

Jackalopes aren't a real animal, at least not so far. It's thought jackalopes were actual, real rabbits which had a mutation or virus causing bumps to appear on their heads. This could have appeared like antlers from a distance. Up close it would have been a simple explanation for the mystery of the weird looking rabbit.

Jackalopes became a legend as people began to produce "real" jackalopes to impress friends, create stories and generally enjoy tricking anyone who didn't already know the jackalope myth. Using a rabbit body and attaching deer or antelope antlers, people would show off their creation. Some jackalopes were given the bonus of a pheasant tail. Those were the extra fancy warrior bunnies.

Rogue Taxidermy Groups

• La Luz de Jesus Presents Rogue Taxidermy 2012

• Minnesota Association of Rogue Taxidermy [MART]

A Few Rogue Taxidermists

• Angela Singer

• Custom Creature Taxidermy - Sarina Brewer

• Afterlife Anatomy - Katie Innamorato

Links for Finding More

• Rogue taxidermist in the Netherlands - Boing Boing

• Rogue Taxidermy | Pinterest

• Art - Rogue Taxidermy | Pinterest

• Flickr: Crappy Taxidermy

• Flickr: Bad Taxidermy

• Rogue Taxidermy | Tumblr

• The Rogue Taxidermist: The Quantum Biologist

• Crappy Taxidermy

• Taxidermy - Wikipedia

• Taxidermy Net