Gone Feral In Idaho

I had fun watching a little girl ride her bike around the block over and over again to sneak peeks at the porch and Sadie who shamelessly cried for her attention.

I also got three more par 38's.  When asked where did those come from?  I said "Oh those, we've had those for years". Here are some pics with the new lights.  Tomorrow will be the first run with the fogger.  I'll take some pics during Saturday's pumpkin carving party (although I don't know who is actually showing up).  If you are a Local haunter and want to join us send me a comment and we'll figure out how to get you the address.  On to the latest pics...

We'll see if the local news puts our haunt on their display map.  Some might not like the idea of witches...  Anywhoo, I just got home from my second 13 hr shift in a row and have to somehow wind down to start a 14 hour shift in the AM.  I've been working on cases all day (and night) and I encountered a lot of poop (seriously).  In the meantime I thought I'd post a few more pics from the past weekend and then I'll be doing the final tweaks for the year on Thursday with newer photos to follow shortly.  We are having a pumpkin carving party on Saturday, so I still have those to add to the haunt as well.  Gosh, so many things to do.  If I'm lucky, no one will die tomorrow.  That reminds me of the novel I'm going to write, again, I digress, I'm just a little fried, please forgive me.  On to the photos!  Please click to enlarge for better detail. Yes my cauldron sucks, I promise to improve for next year. I call the one below witch booty.I sh...

click image enlarge Note: This is not the final set up (hint, hint Rot).  I have a few more lighting effects to set up this coming weekend and the fogger with chiller as well, but today was way more productive than I anticipated.  I'll make a big post of photos with all the effects going by next weekend (I hope).  I plan to make a video out of photos and video clips for my grand finale post of the season.   After Kyle brought home the pumpkin spice creamer (yum) he was ready to help me set up the base for my standing witch.  I have two kneeling on one knee each, but I wanted the third to be leaning over the cauldron casting her spell.  We used one of last year's stands that was used for much heavier monster mud on chicken wire prop that worked really well for my PVC mache witch.   Once I had the third "body" ready all I had to do was dress them.  Let me tell you, I never had that much fun with barbies ever.  I put their plastic table ...

The first witch has made an appearance.  I have three tombstones to finish and then the little graveyard will get set up.  Later she'll move to the yard where we'll set up the cauldron.  Her hair is drying as I write this.  

My three Macbeth witches are coming along nicely.  I've mached them, spar urethaned them three times and now am putting the final paint job on their skeletons.  I also matted their skin and added more gloss to their mouths including drooling and shining up their eyes. The sealant will dry clear.

A haunter's garage is a beautiful thing.  Cars never get to see the interior, especially if the haunter lives with a tool fanatic, yay me.   I just thought I'd share some photos of my late summer/fall refuge.  I usually announce "Hey sweetie, I'm headed to the garage of evil" when I head out unless it is the witching hour when I get home at midnight after he's asleep for a little creative time with my three ladies: Whoo hoo! Party time!  Wow, they seemed so stoked even with out heads. These are static props, so my goal is a sense of motion.  We'll see if I fall flat on my face with these in about 30 days.   Silliness aside, I am learning patience with my work for the first time ever.  Years and lifetimes ago I was an art major at the Art Institute in Chicago- and left out after one semester.  Who could blame me, we never got to do stuff like haunts.  Anyway, for years I used to work on one piece from beginning to end, I'd call in sick...

I've got three lovely ladies to coiffure in the next week or two.  I had a vision of partially dreaded, funky hair as witches don't wash their hair right?  That would wash away their awesome powers.  I went to Fuzz, the local yarn, knitting, weaving, amazing little store where really nice women have a knitting circle/weaving meeting in the afternoons who have happily welcomed me in and show interest in my strange inquiries into how to use their medium of choice in different ways.  The store sits atop a fancy fabric place and is chock full of all sorts of natural fibers in natural and dyed fibers.  Its a little like going to a living history museum- full of soft, glorious fibers. Things went like this: I walked in and all the ladies were all sitting in their knitting circle, happy to answer my questions.   I asked " I want to make some hair".   The clerk/ random customer got up and asked "what color".   "Grey" At which point ...

This is last year: Stink Fest 2009.  These are pics of my first new witch (one of three) for 2010.  I promise they won't look like old ladies in babushkas.  Although I think she looks like she's making an obscene gesture, I am pretty happy.  I may need to saw off the left arm and raise it up a bit so she doesn't looks like she's propositioning someone like a crack ho.  

No pretty pictures here, just the garage/shop progress.  I have the first witch's upper torso set up and ready for paint.  Then its on to the lower half.   She looks like she's wearing a shrug at this point.  Not my ideal goal.   She got a neck as well.  All will be painted black and the neck and wrists will get some green.   Last up is my first attempt at headstones.  The hot knife from Harbor Freight for 13 bucks was a steal in my opinion.  These are my smaller, simpler headstones to learn from before I make the other 6 or 7 more complex ones.  I need to bring my respirator from work home the next time I use heat on the pink foam.  Luckily I had a good strong breeze today.  I need to put epitaphs on them and do a little embellishing, but all in all, I am one happy haunter today.  

Also known as my favorite prop picture to date While one of my faves- the Frog Queen has been rubbing elbows with Rob Zombie, I've been plugging away at my three sisters witches a-la Macbeth/ Pumpkinrot .  I finally have all three heads finished except two that got weather sealed need matting so they aren't shiny and one needs sealed,... the basic heads are done.  I want matte finish skin with shiny lacquered eyes, eyelids, teeth, gums, and lips, think Alien style.    These girls will be frothing at the lips in ecstasy while they try to raise the dead.  Note: I don't plan to have any risen dead this year due to time constraints, my haunt story will follow soon.   After I got home from the morgue I tried a little "photo shoot" with the girls and an idea I am tossing around about hair.  Pumpkinrot's witches are hairless (and ear-less as are mine), but I am a big hair girl.  I like some of the photos I've found ...

I've got two of the three Macbeth/ Pumpkinrot style witch heads complete.  Making these things is so much fun, I can get lost for hours with the mache and paint.  Unfortunately I am also my own worst critic, and a crappy photographer.  These were inspired by Rot's creations, I've gotten a few compliments at work which is super cool, and, some strange looks from the cleaning man.  Oh well.   Here they are in plain light with a little green spot for fun: I showed them to Kyle tonight and he spent a while checking them out.  We are both very honest with each other, but I'm just don't think he is as interested in this stuff as I am.  Don't get me wrong, he is the most supportive person in the world when it comes to my attempts at creative outlets.  He told me tonight "they're all screaming", which is true.  When you make each tooth individually and hand paint each eyeball, you tend to want to show your work.  The third witch will have teet...

I am so glad to know that when Kyle wakes up and sees my latest modifications, he'll grab some morning grub (cause I sleep most the day) and head out with a chuckle in his head over this night's work. Yep, that's our kitchen counter that I've taken over.  Aint love grand? Oh and BTW There are three most awesome folks that now follow this blog.  Wow!