The Ouija Project & Pumpkin Party

O-U-I-J-A
Go Ahead....Ask It Anything!
But NEVER Play Alone!

Last night we had a very small Pumpkin Carving Party. 'Very and Small' are the operative words here. We have just had SO MUCH on our plates this month, that not only have I been a little sick since our vacation, but we just did not have the time or energy to host a big shin-dig like we usually do. It does disappoint me some, no doubt....but, one can only do so much. And honestly speaking, it was still a lot of work, but it was fun and we could socialize more and enjoy it, so it was all good! I missed photographing all of the pumpkins, but I did manage to get a 'blood and guts' shot. Okay....so maybe there was no blood, but the pumpkin guts looked pretty cool. I also got the 4 jacks below when they were lit up. One was really big and one was teensy tiny....but any carved pumpkin is a good pumpkin in my book!
But as such, I missed yesterday's post. I will be finishing the RavenWood Apothecary tour in the next few days, but today's post is on one of my two favorite projects from last year. I'll post the second one later. I was SO thrilled with how this project turned out, and it looks even better in person than in the photos. I had grand intentions of making a few of these to put in the Etsy shoppe, but time did not cooperate with me as usual. So for now it remains my prototype.
Last year I sojourned into the Spirit World via Ouija....well, sort of! Now I've posted on the art of Ouija before because I'm just absolutely smitten with it for some reason. I guess it's the graphic artist in me, or the fact that I was a Journalism (Advertising/Public Relations) major....but I love 'lettering and type'. So I think that's why the Ouija Board appeals to me so. I previously did not own, and still do not own, a store bought Ouija Board. Oh, I want one badly for my Hallowe'en display, I do....but, I don't like the current versions that you can buy, and the older ones are harder to find and usually pretty expensive.

Now when I was considering buying one a few years back, I read up on them via the internet, and of course there were a gazillion warnings to 'STAY AWAY'! "It is not a toy, and you should not attempt to contact the spirit realm unless you are qualified and prepared for what ever might come your way!" Well, you don't have to scare me twice....nope, that was all I needed to know that I had no intentions of using one. But the fact remains that I still love how they look. And I really still wanted one. Now another thing I read somewhere said, "don't even have one open in your house because it acts as a portal and entities can come through it." But others rebuffed that opinion and said that the only way it can act as a portal, is if you actually use one in a seance and open said portal. I side with the second opinion....and I do that out of personal experience.
So since I wanted a Ouija Board, and I wanted it to look old, I decided that I'd really love to design my very own board and incorporate my own style and aesthetic to it. I wanted one that looked old and was decidedly 'witchy'! So that's exactly what I did. I sat down and spent a rather long time designing and creating the artwork for my very own personalized Ouija Board. Then I was ready to actually craft the board itself. And I had intentions of making a bigger board, and I still will, perhaps this year in fact. But first I got another idea, so I decided to implement that idea first. And that idea was to create a Ouija Board Purse!
So I got my wooden box purse and measured the area where the board would go on the front and the back. Next, I made the hubster remove the handles and hinges so that he could stain my box black. Then I printed out the design on high quality paper and trimmed it to fit the purse. I used Mod Podge to affix it to the purse and a squeegee to remove any air bubbles or bumps. Then I went over it twice with a sealant. When it was all dried, the hubster reattached the handle and hinges.

Then, as a finishing touch, I decided that it should be a real board and be able to be used if someone felt so inclined. So I set about creating a planchette. I made this out of wood pieces that I had the hubby drill a hole in to perfectly fit the size of the letters on the board. Then I put some round ball feet on it so it would be elevated and move easily across the board. And lastly, I painted it black. The planchette can be kept inside the purse for ease of use, anytime, anywhere!I personally, will NOT be using this board in any way, shape or form....but I feel better knowing that I have that option always open to me....ha! And, I've had my custom designed/crafted Ouija Board Purse on display in my home for a year now....and I can report that it's portal to other dimensions remains tightly sealed....as no Ghosts, Haints, Spirits or Specters have come a calling! So what do you guys think? Have you used a Ouija Board and had any bad experiences or lack thereof? And would you be scared to have one set out in your home for fear that evil entities might become squatters in your humble abode?