Cigar Box Makeovers - DIY Spooky Gifts #trashtotreasure


My friend Sam gave me a box full of old wooden cigar boxes that had been destined for the dumpster at one of her house clean out jobs.

To most people they looked like trash. Stains on the outer wood. Hinges broken. Some of the wood was split and broken on the lids...but these were easy fixes.












I see the potential they held and went to work on them.

I glued all the broken pieces. Thankfully nothing was missing. The wood had just split in a few spots. Wood glue and clamps fixed them right up.

I had a baggie of small hinges on hand, they were a perfect fit so I replaced hinges on a couple of the boxes.

I cleaned all the cigar boxes with Dixie Belle White Lightning. This removed all the grime and gunk and got the boxes ready to paint.



On the first box I blended Dixie Belle Black Caviar and Dixie Belle Barn Red.

Then I used Texture Paste and my skull stencil to add the skull.

Once the paste dried I used Dixie Belle black glaze over the entire box.

I painted the skull white to brighten it then make it stand out.

Then clear coated the entire box with Dixie Belle Gator Hide.





The second box I painted red, then used a crackle product and painted over it with black. It didn't crackle exactly how I wanted but it still turned out good.

On the two red and black boxes I used Silver Rub N Buff on the hinges and front clasp.



The other two boxes I painted black then added gold Rub N Buff. I used the gold to make the hinges and clasp match.


I painted the skulls white on all of them and sealed everything with clear coat.

















I left the insides of the boxes as they were. The graphics from the cigar company were still brightly colored and in good shape so I left them alone. The humodor seal was still intact in each box so I didn't want to mess them up.  

4 people received these boxes as Christmas gifts. My oldest son, my bestie, my bestie's son, and my future son-in-law.

I hope they love them. I loved making them. 

I get so excited when I can rescue something from the trash and turn it into something amazing.

Spooky Desk Makeover with Dixie Belle Products


This was my first furniture makeover using Dixie Belle products but it won't be my last. I love, love, love Dixie Belle!!!

This was s client commision piece, they purchased the desk and the new hardware they wanted but let me have free reign on the actual makeover.

I was told it would be going into a Halloween room. So it had to be dark and spooky.

So at first I though plain black, but once I received the hardware with the gold tones (ordered from Etsy) I knew I had to jazz it up. 

So I added Gold Rub N Buff to give it an antique look and much more personality.










8/10 Light sand, Clean with Dixie Belle White Lightning

8/11 Prime with Dixie Belle Slick Stick 







8/18 first coat of Dixie Belle Caviar black chalk paint

8/24 2 coats black paint & touch ups 

8/31 steel wool sanding and 1 coat black paint 

9/22 touch up black paint on top of desk 

9/30 sand top of desk 

10/2 re-paint top black 

10/7 apply gold Rub N Buff

10/8 2 clear coats on top of desk 

10/10 clear coat desk with Dixie Belle Gator Hide

10/17 touch up gold Rub N Buff  and black paint 

10/23 clear coat 

10/29 final inspection with touch ups, install hardware 













In the Halloween room it was made for



I'm pretty pleased with the final results. I hope the customer was, too.

I felt bad that it took a couple months to complete but I got the desk right before my book was about to publish and I had two months of book signings and Halloween events while working on deadline for my next book. 

Ugh. I tried to work on the desk as much as possible but it still took a lot longer than expected.

But I delivered it on Halloween! 

These custom coffin shelves were also made for the client's Halloween room.
You can catch a glimpse of them on the nightstands in the video.


Gothique - A Victorian Gothic Tea Party is Seeking Event Sponsors #Gothique #seekingsponsors



Teacup Sponsorship is $25- sponsors will receive their logo on event programs and promotion on the Gothique Facebook Page and in the Gothique Facebook Event Page





Teapot Sponsorship is $50- sponsors will receive their logo on event programs, promotion on the Gothique Facebook Page and in the Gothique Facebook Event Page, and ads placed on the sidebars of the blogs Roxanne’s Realm, Fang-tastic Books, and A Bewitching Guide to Halloween (which also posts on Haunted-Flint.comhttps://www.haunted-flint.com/a-bewitching-guide-to-halloween). 

Both sponsorship levels will also receive social media promotion through all of Roxanne's social media outlets: Twitter, Instagram, LinkedIn, MeWe, Pinterest and multiple Facebook pages.

Please complete the form below and send payment to https://www.paypal.me/bewitchingbooktours or by email via Paypal to RoxanneRhoads@bewitchingbooktours.com  or if you prefer we can send an invoice to your email address.

We will need a jpg or png of your logo and a square or rectangle ad for the website sidebars and program. A digital copy of your business card is acceptable. Please email them to RoxanneRhoads@bewitchingbooktours.com

To Complete the Sponsorship Form Click Here 
    






Tea Party Thoughts and Dark Aesthetics

I think just about every little girl (and probably more than a few little boys, too) play "tea party" at some point in their life.

I had this cute plastic tea set with a celestial design on them when I was little. I was an only child so I never had anyone to play with. I would set up my dolls and stuffed animals and play tea party with them. I pretty much forgot my love of "tea party" until my friend Davonna created Witches Tea Flint  in 2018 and set up the first Witches Tea Party. Since then I've been hooked on tea parties. I've attended all the Witches Tea Flint parties which are fun events full of tea, games, and usually Tarot and other witchiness.


Witches Tea Flint October 2019

Witches Tea Flint October 2019

Witches Tea Flint October 2019

Then I attended a Christmas Victorian Tea at Whaley House in December. It was beautiful and elegant, but sedate. My friend and I were the youngest ones there (and we're in our 40s). The food was delicious and the tea was tasty. But something was missing.



Whaley House Victorian Christmas Tea

Whaley House Victorian Christmas Tea

Last year I bought a tea cart off Marketplace and had plans to give it a Gothic Makeover.



That started an entire Gothic Tea Party vision in my head.  For months it just flated around in my brain - what if, could I do it, how, who would help?

Then I really started thinking about it. 

A Dark Tea Party. 

I'm not a traditional "Goth". I'm more like Goth lite. A mom who used to be Goth, or something like that. I'm definitely not Mary Sunshine but if you look close at what I wear you'll find dark colors and skulls in the mix 99% of the time. 

I love dark aesthectics. Skulls, dark red roses, coffins, spooky witchy vamp stuff. Halloween 365 days a year.

So I consulted with a few friends and the idea for Gothique- A Dark Tea Party was born.

I have a collection of tea pots, tea cups, and china for the event along with my tea cart which is in the process of getting her dark makeover.

Ilona has tons of sexy, dark, vampy accessories from her years of putting on the Flint Vampire Ball plus all the stuff she's been collecting for her Vampire Parlor. These gorgeous props, furniture and decor will give the party a darkly elegant feel.

Samantha has been collecting linens, doilies, and china to contribute to the event.

The tea party we are creating is a fun and lively dark tea party.

There will be a photo area where you can take selfies or have someone take a photo of you and your friends.

There's going to be food, tea, dessert, Oracle card readings, DIY tea leaf readings, and more.

In addition to planning the aesthetics I've been reading about types of tea, how to brew the perfect pot of tea, reading tea leaves, researching tea party recipes and more. 

Interested?

Here's are the details for the event.




Join us for a darkly elegant Victorian Gothic Tea PartyYou don't have to be "Goth" to come to our event. The event is geared towards people who enjoy dark aesthetics be it witchy, pagan, Goth, or vamp. And for those who just want to try something new and have fun with their friends.

Think of it as a Halloween party in May. May-O-Ween if you will.

This is an adults only event. 18 and older please.

Our party is a traditional Victorian Tea with a Dark Twist. 

Enjoy a menu of tea sandwiches, scones, dessert, and of course, tea.

Have your Oracle Cards read and learn how to read your tea leaves.

Dress in your best Dark Tea Party Attire. Wear Vamp, Witch, Goth, Steampunk,  Dark Alice in Wonderland, or simply fancy black clothes.

Prizes awarded for:

Best Victorian Ensemble
Best Hat
Best Vampire
Most Creative Costume

We'll also have Raffle Prizes

Bring a donation for the Humane Society of Genesee County and receive 5 free raffle tickets.

Signed copies of Haunted Flint will be available for purchase.

Join the Facebook Event Page for Updates

Like the Gothique Facebook Page 

Get Your Tea Party Ticket from Brown Paper Tickets

Tickets must be purchased in advance. No tickets will be available at the door. This is a small venue so we have a limited number of seats available. Get yours before they sell out.


New Products in The Bewitching Cauldron

I've added die-cut stickers to The Bewitching Cauldron

These are custom designs. The concept and rough sketches were created by me and my daughter turned them into usable digital designs.

The first two designs I've added are perfect for Literary Horror lovers. 

Just $3 each with free shipping.

Available in The Bewitching Cauldron on Etsy

Available in The Bewitching Cauldron on Etsy





Tickets On Sale for Gothique - A Victorian Gothic Tea Party #teaparty #Victorian #goth


Join us for a darkly elegant Victorian Gothic Tea Party to celebrate World Goth Day on May 16, 2020 brought to you by Roxanne Rhoads and Ilona Curry (the woman who planned the Flint Vampire Ball for years)

World Goth Day is May 22 but it's also Memorial Day Weekend so we were unable to rent the venue on that date. So we're celebrating a week early. We hope you'll join us. You don't have to be "Goth" to come to our event. The event is geared towards people who enjoy dark aesthetics be it witchy, pagan, Goth, or vamp. And for those who just want to try something new and have fun with their friends.

Think of it as a Halloween party in May. May-O-Ween if you will.

This is an adults only event. 18 and older please.

Our party is a traditional Victorian Tea with a Goth Twist. 

Enjoy a menu of tea sandwiches, scones, dessert, and of course, tea.

Have your Oracle Cards read and learn how to read your tea leaves.

Dress in your best Dark Tea Party Attire. 

Wear Vamp, Witch, Goth, Steampunk,  Dark Alice in Wonderland, or simply fancy black clothes.

Prizes awarded for:

Best Victorian Ensemble
Best Hat
Best Vampire
Most Creative Costume

We'll also have Raffle Prizes

Bring a donation for the Humane Society of Genesee County and receive 5 free raffle tickets.

Signed copies of Haunted Flint will be available for purchase.

Join the Facebook Event Page for Updates

Like the Gothique Facebook Page 

Get Your Tea Party Ticket from Brown Paper Tickets

Tickets must be purchased in advance. No tickets will be available at the door. This is a small venue so we have a limited number of seats available. Get yours before they sell out.





Get inspiration for your attire from our Pinterest Board.
    
Gothique is Seeking Event Sponsors









Deleted Sections from the book Haunted Flint - Stockton House #HauntedFlint

Our History Press editor did not want too many first person accounts or ghost hunting details in the book so we have a couple buildings that we had to delete info from their chapters.

I previously shared details about Whaley House and Spencer House, next up is the Stockton House.


On May 18th 2016, Joe had the privilege of meeting with the people from Michigan Spirit Quest (MSQ) and discover their findings in the home from an investigation they did a month before.  This was MSQ’s second investigation of the Stockton home. The first one was done the year before, in the middle of the night. This investigation was in the daytime. Over the years there have been many claims of haunting experiences in the home. The findings of MSQ will be broken down into the areas where they found the most activity. The evidence they found makes us believe that there are several ghosts in the home for many time periods.

As you enter the house through the grand front doors into the main hallway you immediately catch a glimpse of the past. The staff and tenants at the Stockton house have reported hearing whistling and the feeling of someone being in the hallway. After MSQ’s investigation, they were able to capture the whistling several times throughout both of their investigations. Other activity that was found in the hallway was the sound of footsteps. This was recorded several times during the investigation when the investigators were in other locations of the house, like the morgue and attic. The footsteps sounded like a man wearing boots pacing the hall. Listening to it, it sounded like someone that has been in the military. Could it be Colonel Stockton watching over the home? 

Some interesting activity was also caught in the parlor. This spirit seemed to be from a more current time period. One of the questions asked was “does anyone sit in chairs and look out the window?” the spirit responded “Hell yeah”. There have been claims of seeing a spirit looking out the window. Other voices were heard throughout the investigation in this room, most of which were low and breathy to the point it was too hard to make out what they were saying. Another example of this was caught on one of the recorders in another room while the team was in the parlor, they asked if anyone sat at the desk? The recorder in the room next to it picked up a voice that said, “She left.” 

Leaving the parlor and going into the drawing room, the team also captured many low breathy voices. Most of which were just one word responses to questions, like “no”, “wow”, or “yes”. There was one exception, when one of the investigators asked the other team member if she should shut the door, a spirit replied, “all the way.”

Moving along in the house to the butler’s pantry and servant’s area, there again was a lot of recorded talking that was quiet, fast, and breathy. One of the spirits was very polite, and still seemed to be working when he guided the crew by saying, “right through there.”

Leaving the main floor of the house, the sound of a lady humming could be heard several times on their recorders. When the team listened to the recordings as they were going up the stairs, they recorded a voice telling them to, “Go away.” On the upstairs floor in Baylis’s bedroom they also recorded some weird tapping on the floor when asked how many spirits are in the room. Later when listening to their recording they heard a spirit answer, “Two.” 

In the 1920’s an extension was put on the house as a hospital wing, when the home was turned into St. Joseph’s Hospital. One of the places with the most activity was the morgue on the first level. The team recorded footsteps many times throughout their investigation. One of the spirits seemed to want to interact with the team. One of the team members made a comment about her phone, while they were packing up the equipment and the spirit responded, “That’s bad.” The same spirit also seemed to like her peace when he told them, “quiet.”  Another spirit responded to their questioning with a, “thanks.”


The operating room was another place in the hospital that seemed to have a lot of activity with low breathy voices that were not fully able to make out what they were saying. In one of the recovery rooms many staff members and visitors have claimed to feel chills, hear sounds, and get creeped out. When they listened to the recordings after investigating that room the sound of a man moaning in pain could be heard. 



Haunted Flint
Haunted America Series
Roxanne Rhoads and Joe Schipani 

Publisher: The History Press

Release Date: September 2, 2019

ISBN-10: 1467143049
ISBN-13: 978-1467143042

Book Description:

Sinister Secrets in Flint’s History

Home to ancient burial grounds, unsolved murders, economic depression, and a water crisis, Flint emits an unholy energy rife with ghostly encounters.

Colonel Thomas Stockton’s ever vigilant ghost keeps a watchful eye over his family home at Spring Grove, where guests occasionally hear the thump of his heavy boots.

Restless spirits long separated from their graves lurk among the ancient stones in Avondale Cemetery.

Carriage maker W.A. Paterson’s spirit continuously wanders the halls of the Dryden Building, and something sinister and unnamed resides in a Knob Hill mansion waiting to prey on impressionable young men.

Join authors Roxanne Rhoads and Joe Schipani on a chilling tour of Flint’s most haunted locations.

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