Screams from the Basement

The past thirty days . . .

2010-10-23T00:20:00.000-07:00

Have been unbelievably busy. With just a week until Halloween, I'm still not completely done scratching projects off my list. Fortunately, the projects remaining aren't huge, of course smaller projects have been known to become huge pains in the butt. I'm really hoping that won't happen, because I'm starting to run out of steam. I have to apologize for not taking as many photos as I had planned. At this point, I might as well wait and publish photos of the finished product. I really should have been hard at work today, but when I woke, the sky was blanketed with grey clouds in expectation of this evening's thunderstorms, and the crisp fall breezes were gently blowing. It was just such a perfect fall day, I wanted to enjoy it.

For the most part, the front yard is complete. Last weekend, Heather and her BFF, Maycee, helped me to put the finishing touches on the grave yard. Since most of the "corpse props" have been remade and will be used for the wedding scene in the chapel, the cemetery just seemed lonely with only Haunter and Jack, proposing to Mary out front. In addition, I just didn't have the finances to build the mausoleum with flying crank ghost, nor the hearse that I had planned to add this year. So I figured the next best thing would be to add a simple prop like a ghost or ghoul that would be semi-animated by wind power. So last Saturday, I told them what I had in mind, opened up my prop bins, and let the girls go at it. Not only did they create a lovely 10 foot Ghoul that sways in the breeze; but they also built a scarecrow to tower over the back yard fence that faces the park's walking trail ! I had been planning to expand my holiday decorations into the back yard for a couple of years now because, we have so much foot traffic. I'm pleased that this year we have made at least a small start in that direction.

In addition to the girls help, the rest of the family is finally getting involved. Yesterday, Roy and Nick had a welcome, if unplanned, day off from work. Roy and Jake finally had a chance to build my second, matching church pew for the Chapel; and Nick took some time out to cut the poles for the wedding aisle stanchions. The guys are planning to build a pastors pulpit tomorrow. ( unless they get some new calls to work.) And as much as I enjoyed my break, I have plenty of work that still needs to be done. If the rain blows on down the road tomorrow, I hope to get photos of the cemetery and get them posted. At least that's my plan . . .

Okay, I'm going to go climb into bed now and fall asleep listening to the thunder.
Good night.

I've really been trying . . .

2010-09-20T23:51:00.000-07:00

to get something posted, but with Halloween just 41 days away, I've been very busy lately.   In fact, I've been feeling so rushed and overwhelmed with everything, that I haven't really had much time to even think about taking photos of work in progress.

However . . . a couple of weeks ago, we loaded up the family in the old minivan and spent an entire Sunday doing what has become an annual activity - Halloween inspiration shopping. This year, I made a list of all the places that we wanted to check out, and Roy routed out the day. I think we're going to have to start doing our inspiration shopping on a Saturday, instead of Sundays. It seems that five hours just isn't enough time to get to all the stores we want to see. We did manage to get to most of the major department stores like Walmart and Target, as well as a couple big Halloween shops like; Spirit Halloween, and Halloween Express. We'll have to schedule some time this weekend to get to Halloween Madness at the Mall, Michael's, and Party City.

Of the two outlet shops that we visited, I'd have to say that I was most impressed with Spirit Halloween. They had everything that you would expect, in almost every price range, as well as some new props. Apparently, they're expecting a trend towards demon babies and creepy dolls this year. It got me thinking that it might be fun to feature a "children's ward" at The Asylum some year - lots of possibilities for that.
I was a little disappointed with Halloween Express. As usual, their focus is more on costumes.  Maybe it was just the particular store that we visited, but they seem to be cutting back on their props and party decorations; and what they did have, wasn't anything new, nor especially inspiring.

Neither Walmart, nor Target, had their full displays out yet. I suspect that our current crappy economy has a lot to do with their planning decisions. Unless Walmart is saving some special items for October, Their display merchandise seems to be pretty middle of the road, all-American, basic Halloween stuff. Their buyers are playing it safe - nothing edgy or risky for Sam Walton this year.

I always make it a point to check out Target, because they always seem to focus on a couple of trendy themes for their Holiday displays. This year, there seems to be an awful lot of glitter and sparkle to their merchandise; as well as a secondary theme of vintage Halloween items. For me, personally, I'm not crazy about either. Mostly because, it doesn't fit well with my haunt, and the things I already have. I just can't afford to be trendy.

I'd have to say that the two most inspiring shops on our tour were:
1.) Joanne's Fabrics and Crafts - TONS of inspiration and raw materials that spark the imagination. In fact, we decided right there, that this year we're going to find a way to squeeze a Halloween party into our already overflowing October calendar. Something that will probably become a family tradition.

2.) The Curious Sofa - This is a store that I'd never even heard of until I happened across it featured on one of my favorite blogs: Pumpkinrot, an amazing Halloween artist who I think lives in the New England area. I couldn't believe that this place was right here in Johnson County! So I had to check it out. This store is truly amazing. You knew it was going to awesome before you even walked inside. I had Jenn snap a few photos with her camera. (they really don't do the store justice) This is the entryway to The Curious Sofa located at 71st and Mission Road.

And the displays inside are amazing!

Everyone was absolutely wowed by the merchandise and displays.

We could have spent hours browsing. In fact, it wasn't long after we arrived that Heather and Jacob started whispering to everyone that they had to use the bathroom!

Yes, even the bathrooms were an artistic display!

In fact, when my sixteen (almost seventeen) year old grandson returned from his visit, he returned inspired. He announced to me: "I wanna have a house - with a study - and I want it to look just like that bathroom."

(I don't know why Jenn didn't get pictures.)

It's just an incredible store, and not nearly as pricey as you would imagine.

If you have an afternoon to kill, it's absolutely worth checking out!

Hopefully, we'll get a chance to stop by the other stores on our list that we didn't have time for, later this week. I've heard some positive things about Michael's this year, Halloween Madness always has some unusual and interesting items, and who knows what might be lurking at Party City?

I think that I said . . .

2010-09-01T22:52:00.000-07:00

That I would post some photos. (about a month ago?) Well, since almost everyone around here is feeling sick, I've taken a couple of days off. It never fails, when you send the kids back to school, they come home with about a million bugs, viruses, and who knows what else, to infect everyone in the house with. Bottom line, kids in large groups - bad idea.
Anyway, I've got some general photos of my basement monster lab - now that I've finally got it cleaned up and put back together.

This is Bubba's new face. Over the winter, He while he was stored away, some mice decided to snack on his face. UGH! really gruesome! So I decided to give him a whole new make over for the wedding.

A new paper mache jack o lantern and a couple more skulls.

While I was moving things around downstairs, I decided to make a drying area for paper mache work.

I also moved an old T.V. and DVD player down stairs so I could be inspired by some of my favorite movies. Below are just some of the regular asylum patients hanging around.

Bob.

Jack, Edna, Elizabeth, and Mary.

Elizabeth and The skull fountain (that still needs some repair work done.)

Some pedestals to be used in the wedding chapel.

I've already got the new Jack o lantern almost finished and I should have some other photos up soon. Seriously.

Well, Scooby, that's another mystery solved . . .

2010-08-29T02:11:00.000-07:00

Some how, I just knew that it had to be me. Hell, it always is, isn't it? Over the past few weeks, it had actually occurred to me that the date on our computer might be wrong. But then, I wasn't entirely certain that we even had a date setting, nor where it might be located, so I just blew the whole thing off.

Well, this evening, I found myself with some quiet time. All my kids actually went to bed at a decent hour. (GASP !) So I decided to check it out. There it was, my computer calendar. Strangely enough, in the first place that I checked, big as day, proclaiming that today was October 9th ! Hence, the reason why my countdown clocks, and everyone else's that show up on my computer, insisted that there were only 21 days until Halloween. So, I re-set the darn thing to the correct date (again, much easier than I feared) and now I am once again, back in the real world. There are in fact, only 62 days until Halloween. 62 days?!?

Oh shit, I better get back to work !

** oh, by the way, I have a few photos that I need to get posted. I just haven't had time to down load them. I'll try to get them up in the next day or so.

I'm doing my best . . .

2010-08-13T11:02:00.000-07:00

not to panic. But it's hard when there seems to be a mass error with not just mine, but every one's, Halloween count down clocks. There are NOT a mere 37 days until Halloween 2010 - There are in fact 78 days. Thank God !!! I don't know what the problem is, but 78 days is bad enough. Don't get me wrong, I'm as excited for Halloween to come as anyone else. (maybe more than most.) But I have way too many unfinished projects, and far too many projects that I haven't even started.

This past month has been cursed. Not only has it been too hot to even think, but once again, we've had another one of our famous main drain back ups in our basement. (aka: my work room/laundry room) Since my last post, I've accomplished . . . NOTHING! However, at least one good thing has come of this fiasco. I've finally talked my husband into investing in a storage space so we can clear out the basement and garage! YAY ! Now Nick and Jenn have a place to store extra baby stuff and items for their future home, AND the guys have a place to store their tools, equipment, and work supplies. Which means . . . . I now have room to work downstairs, and preparing the garage for Halloween will be SO much easier !!!! Getting everything moved and organized has been a lot of work, but I feel so much better.

So . . . in celebration, I'll be spending my Friday 13th WORKING downstairs !!!!! How amazing is that !?!
I'll have photos of my new space and projects soon!
Have to go now, I have about a million things to do, and only 78 days to it in !!!

I HAD a plan . . .

2010-07-24T08:50:00.000-07:00

I spent the early part of the week cleaning house and knocking out appointments so that I could spend Thursday and Friday trying to tie up some lose ends on prop work - maybe reach a point where I could move on to a new project or even just the next big steps. There's a lot of work that I need time and space to finish up; instead of the few stolen minutes in between loads of laundry.
Jenn had made plans to be out with the girls all day so I spent most of my morning moving stuff to the kitchen so I could spread out, and make use of the back porch and summer heat for drying. No sooner had I reached that point, when Roy, Nick, and Jake came crashing through the front door ! As per their usual routine, they immediately descended on the kitchen and started creating chaos and destruction. UGH ! So much for peace and solitude for clear thinking and productivity.

In the end, I really didn't accomplish much. I got Jack's face sculpted for the engagement scene, I did some stabilizing work on the columns for the chapel, and most importantly, I got them relocated into the garage so I could free up space in my work room. (I'm just praying that they will survive there - the guys tend to use the garage for a dumping ground without regard to my stuff.)

Today, I managed to get the paper mache work started on Jack's chest for the wedding, and do some cleaning in my basement. The night before, Heather had agreed to do some "evil minion" work for me. (applying layers of paper mache, adding latex paint coatings, you know, dirty work) I could really use some help and Heather is very artistic. Problem is, she's also a teenager and she is much too wrapped up in her social life to be bothered with "work." So, I'm starting to feel a bit frustrated and overwhelmed. It would just be easier to have them all back in school and out of my way.

Okay, enough bitching. Here are some photos of what I managed to get done.

Now, back to work.

Really Quick . . .

2010-07-10T08:26:00.000-07:00

I'm gonna post some photos. I've got a busy weekend ahead, and not much time to play on the internet. I'll try to post more later.

This is Mary #2 (for the engagement scene) in the process of having her yarn hair "plugs" added.

This is the painted Jack with hair. After looking at him for a while, I decided that he needed to look a bit more Victorian-gothic. At this point, I think he looks too feminine. Too 13th century, something.

So I chopped his mop. Now he's looking to Edward Cullen-ish - might as well dust him with glitter ! I'm thinking that the addittion of a moustache and goatee, possibly some scars, will give him a more sinister look.

When Baby Brooklyn isn't afraid of him - it's not a good sign.

So . . . . I'll be getting to work on those chnages and . . . I think my next chore is making some hands. (I'll have to do some experimenting on that)

No, I haven't given up . . .

2010-07-01T00:54:00.000-07:00

on my haunt. I've actually been quite busy . . . here and there. Unfortunately, I just don't feel like things are progressing fast enough. At first, I thought it was the whole wedding theme. Now, I don't think so. Mostly because, over the weekend, I came up with a theme for the 2011 haunt, and I suspect it will be just as insane. ( if not worse!) I can only conclude that it's my own fault. Too many ideas, too much ambition, never enough time.

Okay, anyway, I have been working. I've managed to get several (not even sure how many) Styrofoam pedestals put together and partially painted. I haven't got photos of those because, they're just all over the place in my basement. I need to figure out where to put those things - they just take up so much space.

I've been working on Mary's body for the wedding; shaping, molding, drying, painting, etc. Slowly but surely, it's coming together, although not quite as I had planned. (as usual) It's my first attempt at building a full body using paper mache, so it's a lot of trial and error.

The photo on the top is the paper mache form with a few arm bones showing through that I added. The photo directly above is the same form after I added a coat of latex paint to help with keeping moisture out . This particular prop will be displayed inside (the garage) so I'm not so worried about rain and weather proofing.
Fortunately, I think I'll be able to work out the errors when I get her wedding dress on her. (fabric will cover and fill in some of the areas that seem a bit out of proportion and help to balance out her figure.)

I did a general sketch of the dress a couple of months ago, but it's all the little details that are going to make the dress. (and make it fun to design)

These are some of the fabrics and trims that I'll be working with. It's not going to be a traditional dress, more of a very dark, Gothic wedding dress.

In addition to making the bride and groom for the All Hallows Eve wedding, I also have to build a matching prop for a proposal scene that will be displayed outside, where Jack and Mary usually sit. Since both the wedding props and the proposal props have to match, Jack and Mary are getting a re-design making them both more of my own design, instead of just using store bought masks. I'm still not sure how much of the old body props I'll be able to use, but I know that I have to make two heads for each Jack and Mary. I've spent most of today working on the other heads. This is Mary's head for the proposal scene. I still have to add the hair and weather proof it with a coat of polyurethane.

I was even able to get started sculpting a head for Jack. For a long time I was really undecided what "the new Jack" should look like. Last night I finally felt inspired and started sculpting this evening.

The paper clay makes it difficult to really see his features, and he may still evolve as I work on it - I'll be posting more photos of him as he progresses. The important thing is that I feel I'm starting to make some forward progress, and I'm beginning to feel better about things - a tiny bit less panicked. At least until the next catastrophe happens along and throws me off schedule.

Bloody Mary, Bloody Mary, Bloody Mary . . .

2010-06-07T23:53:00.000-07:00

Okay, Maybe she's not so bloody. At this point, she's really just a dismembered head sitting on my kitchen table. Besides, it's her wedding day - At least it will be.

After looking at her for almost a week, I'm still not sure if I'm done with her. I'm thinking of adding a few, carefully placed stitches - I'm just not sure. She almost seems too "pretty." Jenn has said that she is "hauntingly beautiful," but I like Brooklyn's response to her the best. She is fascinated by Mary, she can't seem to turn her eyes away, as she makes some very concerned and excited "Ooohs and ahhs." As long as she doesn't have to get too close to her. At a distance of about 4-5 feet, Brooklyn will grab hold of my arm and shoulder for dear life; then, she starts trying to crawl over the top of my shoulder and down my back to get away :)

As I mentioned in my last post, I'm starting to get a better vision for what I want the haunt to look and feel like. I think that Mary is a good example of that style. I want it to be darkly Victorian Gothic looking. (and for this year, just a tiny bit romantic and humorous.) Much like a Tim Burton film. I absolutely love Tim Burton's work (as do my kids) and I'm finding a lot of inspiration from the characters that he has invented. Mary was inspired by "Emily" from "The Corpse Bride."

Anyway, I just wanted to get the photo posted, I was starting to think that I wouldn't. Not only did Blogger randomly decide to deny me access to my own blogs for a day or so, but I finally had to take the picture myself. I've got to get my own camera - I have a feeling that my daughter is going to be very socially involved this summer.

I'm still plugging along . . .

2010-06-06T01:21:00.000-07:00

with my prop building. I'm really liking the way things are coming along for this year's haunt theme. I just wish that I had more time to work on projects. The closer it gets to Halloween, the more overwhelmed and panicky I become. Some days, I feel like I'm the craziest lunatic in the asylum.
There's just so much I want to do, and so little time left to accomplish it all in. A lot of the bigger props that I was hoping to add are ideas that have been floating around in my head for the past three years. It just seems like this year, I'm finally finding the courage and confidence to tackle them. Of course, I know that it won't be the end of the world if they wait until another year; except that they would fit in so perfectly with this year's theme!
Also, I feel like I am starting to get a feel for the style and look that I want the haunt to have. Up until now, the completed look of my props has been mostly dependant upon whatever materials and resources that I could quickly and easily gather together - sometimes it works out, sometimes, not so much. Even though I still work primarily with recycled and found materials, I feel like I'm developing a better eye for the hidden potential of objects, seeing more clearly what I want to create, and how it will come together.

Over the past week or so, the focus has mostly been on building the bride version of Mary. The biggest part of her body (torso) is complete now, except for painting and sealing. I still have to add her limbs, but I'm intentionally holding off on doing that until I create her gown so that I can pose her in a way that works best overall.
Her head is mostly done - I'm not quite sure. My method has always been to try and place my "completed" projects in a location where I can look at it often (usually, somewhere in the kitchen) to decide if I really am satisfied with it. As a result, my kitchen table is often littered with assorted corpses and body parts in various stages of decay. Amazingly enough, my family and regular house guests have adapted to this bizarre way of life, and it doesn't seem to have any negative effects on their appetite. In fact, it's not unusual that some of the most helpful critique occurs during family meal time.
I had planned to include a photo of my progress with this post, but once again, my photographer (or photographist, as Heather sometimes calls herself) has been way too busy with all the details that make up the social life of a teenager. So, be looking for photos in the next post.
My birthday is on the 19th of this month. Maybe - if I'm a really good girl - I'll get a new camera? Although, at this point, I'm not sure that even a new digital camera would be worth adding another year to my age.

I do appologize . . .

2010-05-26T22:16:00.000-07:00

for not posting yesterday as promised. I seems that my personal photographer has become a bit elusive since summer has started. SO many things to do, so little time.

Anyway, I managed to snatch on to her this afternoon and got some pics. As I said, I decided that my skulls needed a bit more definition using paper clay. So far, I've paper mache'd and clayed a total of six skulls; four have been painted. I'm liking how they are turning out.

On Saturday, I started work on the Bride and Groom ( Jack and Mary) props. I started with a wooden frame and stand, much like a scarecrow. The ribs are wire wrapped in newspaper and masking tape. I stapled them to the spine and added a horizontal 2"x2" board to indicate where the hips will be. This is Jack's frame. When complete, he'll be a little over 6 foot tall.

I decided that I wanted them both to look similar to Tim Burton's bride and groom from the movie "The Corpse Bride." I like them, they're not too gory, but still, very creepy characters. Very victorian and gothic. Plus, She has a uh, voluptuous rack, at least for a corpse. (my guess would be implants? How long does it take silicone to decay?) It's always helpful to have a nice figure to work with when designing a wedding gown.

So with all this in mind, this is the photo of Mary's frame. As of this afternoon, she is a little further along in the process. After Heather took the photos, I started adding the layers of paper mache and she is filling out nicely. Her busom won't look quite so ample when she's all filled in and clothed. But still . . . . she'll be a hot little zombie - Jack's a lucky guy.

I'm still debating as to whether I'll use the Styrofoam wig heads, or sculpt something from scratch. I have a couple of sketches for Mary's face and I'm not so sure that the wig heads will work; at least, by the time I get done doing prep work to it, it might just be easier to create my own. I'll have to see how it goes.

Okay, I've still got about . . . oh, a couple million more projects that still need to be started. So, I guess it's back to the basement for me.

Saturday Prop Work.

2010-05-08T19:17:00.000-07:00

Urgh ! This weird spring time weather has my head all messed up. I wish mother nature would just make up her mellon !!! *sigh* Oh well, since my brain seems too fuzzy to carry a conversation, it's been a good day to just tune out the world and work on props. A couple of days ago I decided that my skulls need a bit of paper mache clay added to give them a smoother texture and to help increase their size a bit. I'm using a skull form that is anatomically acrurate, but just a bit small. Besides, I really need the practice working with the clay. Sculpting is something I've never really done much of. (at least not since elementary school art class!) At this point, I've got three skulls in various stages of drying, and another one that's in the first stages of being cast, and another one almost ready for clay. I was thinking that I'll probably need 6 or 8 of them for the wedding. Then next year, I could recycle the skulls - you can never have too many skulls! I sort of had a vision of using them to top some poles that I would use to rope off the wedding isle, or maybe line the drive way leading up to the asylum chapel? (I would show you my sketch, but my scanner is being a piece of crap. Ooops, never mind, Heather saved the day by emailing a photo of it to me :) Yay, Heather !)

Of course, they would actually stand up straight, and they would have a battery operated candle on top. (that part didn't come out too well in the photo.) I'm just kind of worried about getting everything done in time. Of course, that's always my fear. I've just got so much to do this year, so many new ideas, and I haven't even started any of the bigger projects. I guess that's just the way it is when you are planning a wedding. (be it for living, or dead, people) I STILL haven't absolutely settled on the colors !!! I think I need to sit everyone down and have a family meeting to work out all the details - I need HELP !!!!

Photos of last week's WIP.

2010-04-18T23:03:00.000-07:00

*BIG sigh* My brains are feeling a bit scrambled after this long, long weekend. Don't ask me why, I think it's just a "me" thing.
Anyway, I finally got my daughter to spare a few moments to get some photos of my work earlier this week, and I said I'd post them. (if anyone actually cares) So here they are.

Okay, On the right, is my paper mache pumpkin. It was formed by paper macheing over a trash bag filled with crumpled news paper. The stem is an empty toilet paper tube with newspaper soaked in paste and wrapped around it and shaped into a long, thick, curled stem. I later added paper mache clay to further shape and define the pumpkin. After it was carved, the facial features were built up with poster board scraps and more clay. I put an initial coat of laytex paint to cover and provide some waterproofing before I painted with acrylics. It still needs a more thorough, final coat of varnish for water protection. For the most part, I'm pleased with how this first attempt turned out; but I think I need to try some other mediums (or maybe even other recipes) for getting a smoother texture to my paper mache clay. Also, I'm thinking about adding some eyeballs to this guy. I'll have to try it and see what I think. I've got a second pumpkin in the works, but I'm not happy with the face, or the fact that my paper mache shell seemed a bit thin. After adding the clay and allowing it to dry, it sort of warped a bit on me. I'll probably finish it eventually, or maybe I'll give it to one of the kids to practice their painting skills on?

On the left, is one of my paper mache skulls. (also a first try) I used a purchased resin skull as a mold, and added a few teeth to it by hot gluing sunflower seeds. It's also got a laytex base coat cover with acrylics. It still needs some more paint to age and define shape by adding high lights and low lights. I'll post another photo when it's done. However, I think I'll add a bit of clay to future skulls - this one seems a bit "flat" and the texture sucks.

Both the pumkin and skull are sitting on my half finished, styrofoam pillars. As I mentioned, I originally made them as a base for a cemetery bench; but like I said, I don't really need a bench for the cemetery, and I think I like them better as short little display stands. I think when I get a chance, I'll put a faux marble finish on them. Most likely, the pieces will need to be re- glued with liquid nails. I just did a quickie job with Elmer" to stick them together and get them out of the way.

Okay, this is my second tombstone. It really isn't a very good photo. You maynot be able to read it, but it's a marker for Jack (Jackson Grimm's) grave. Not much more to say, That's it for now. I'll post more photos and updates as they happen . . .

What have I done ?! . . .

2010-04-17T01:13:00.000-07:00

I spent most of Thursday, and a little time on Friday, doing some prop building. I started painting one of my paper mache pumpkins, and completed another tombstone. I also did a bit of doodling in the sketch book and laid out some plans for building a stone cemetery bench out of styrofoam. I'm not sure that the grave yard really needs it, but I had a couple of short column peices that I needed to find a use for. (God forbid that I should waste any scraps. :o ) I also have two rather tall columns of stryofoam that I'm still undecided about. They would work nicely as cemetery or front gate columns, but then I'd have to come up with something spectacular to perch on top of them, and figure out how to weigh them down or attatch them so they wouldn't blow over. Or I could cut them down and use them as tall grave markers? I don't know . . . I really have too many big projects for this year already - they may have to wait. Because . . . this afternoon, I sort of amped up the pressure for this year's haunt. Let me explain.

For the past couple of years, I've been playing with the idea of finding a charity that we could use our haunt to raise funds for. Over this past year, we had some dealings with a local organization called The Pet Connection. After checking into the many good things that they do for animals, I had sort of decided that they would be an ideal recipient. However, I've put off contacting them because . . . well, I'm scared. I don't know if I'm ready to step out and do all the things that are involved with fund raising and promotion. I mean what if I commit to this and it's a flop, or I let them down? I don't know, I've just become so unsure of myself lately. I didn't used to be that way, I used to be able to pull off all sorts of major events when I was involved with my church. But things have changed in my life. Every thing seems so chaotic and uncertain; and I've felt so isolated and on my own. It's just a big step.
Well, anyway, this afternoon, I got a facebook memo that The Pet Connection is in serious trouble financially. So, what do I (impulsively) do? I emailed the director of TPC and laid out bits and pieces of the plan. Of course, at this point, they are in need of more immediate help and I'm not sure how this all might eventually work out in the months ahead, but I'm already feeling a bit of pressure. So now, I think I have to get serious with prop building and plans. UGH, what have I done?

Anyway, I'm hoping to get my "personal photographer" to take a few pictures of my WIP soon, and get them posted. Right now, I'm exhausted. I'm gonna head off to bed and try to stop the flow of thoughts in my head.

Maybe. . . . no one will notice?

2010-04-14T08:35:00.000-07:00

This is what I did yesterday. I finally got around to painting Elizabeth's tombstone. I spent most of Tuesday afternoon in the back yard, enjoying the sunshine, and just painting away. As I was finishing up the details, Jenn, our math wizard, pointed out to me that according to the dates; Elizabeth was only 12 years old when she died. DAMN IT! That sucks.

This is Elizabeth:

Obviously, she's older than 12.

Work in Progress

2010-04-08T21:55:00.000-07:00

I can't believe it! Ive had nothing on my calendar for yesterday, today, and tomorrow. So . . . I've been spending just a couple of hours in the morning getting things straightened away around the house, then down to the basement for some prop building :) Thankfully, I was a ble to get some sketches done earlier this week and I've been quite productive the last few days.

On Sunday, I had done some experimenting with some styrofoam sheets that Roy brought home; and yesterday, I got the first grave stone painted. Just a basic R.I.P., dates and a patient
a patient number. I liked the way it turned out, and it was faily easy to put together, but I'm not sure if I'll actually use this one, because there's a fairly deep crack along the back side of it. If I have time, and if it holds together long enough, maybe I'll cut down a piece of plywood to attach it to. My hope is to make a headstone for each of my props/patients that the reside at the asylum this year.

Last night, I finally got around to carving faces in the paper mache pumpkins that I made a couple of months ago. My plan is to use these pumpkins ( and several foam pumpkins that I have stored in the garage) to make some three dimenional jack o' lanterns like the ones I've seen on Stolloween's blog. I have no idea how the paper mache clay will work on the foam pumpkins. (it may not work at all) So I just started with the two that I made with paper mache. I was able to get the poster board strips glued on, and today, I added the clay.

Right now, they are drying down stairs with a space heater; but if the weather stays nice, I'll try to set them on the deck to finish drying in the sun.

Later this afternoon I had time to start work on a grave stone that I sketched earlier this week.

I designed this one for Elizabeth. She is the blonde with a "sore throat" that is usually seen standing out front of the asylum. I'm still planning to make a Jack the Ripper prop to go with her. I've got so much to do, I don't know if I'll have time to get that done - this year. I'm hoping to get this one painted tomorrow, and maybe get started on Jackson's headstone as well. If things go well, I'll try to start some frame work for the bridal couple. Hoping to have more WIP photos tomorrow :)

It would be so awesome if I could have more weeks like this one between now and October. Right now, I think I'll snuggle up on the couch with my dogs, relax, and watch a few episodes of "Ghost Stories" on Travel Channel.

*OH ! by the way, I need to give the photo credits to my lovely daughter, Heather, the photographer! THANKS, GUMDROP !

Good night !

Not enough hours in the day :(

2010-04-04T08:53:00.000-07:00

I'm feeling a bit frustrated lately. By the time I finish up with all my daily chores, there never seems to be any hours left to get any work done in the basement ! The worst part is that my brain just keeps ticking away with new ideas. No, that's not the worst part. it's that I'm living in a house full of (supposed) adults, or at least near adults, and they should be able to pick up after themselves!! Honestly, I had more time availible to myself when my kids were tiny. :(

Today, I'm just going to do SOME THING in the basement.

What have I been doing lately?

2010-03-12T00:47:00.000-08:00

Well, the weather is finally starting to warm up a bit. Enough that I spent some time last weekend adding some paper mache layers to a few props. I'm thinking that at least one of the pumpkins that I have going is going to require some considerable paper mache clay work, but I'm still holding off on that for warmer weather. At this point, the forecast is for rain, rain, and more rain - the air is just so damp that people are struggling with the effects of it - it seems a lot to ask of a prop.

So . . . in the mean time, I've been plotting, planning, and trying to put to paper some mental images. I just don't know how that is going to work for me; Normally, I just jump right in and sort of muddle through it all as I discover what my prop wants to become. Of course, that method isn't always fool proof either. Last year, I ended up with a fairly awesome witch that I just had no place for. I was pleased with how she turned out, but what the hell am I going to do with a witch in an asylum? She just didn't fit. Fortunately, I found a good home for her at my daughter's house. I'm discovering that the same seems to go for sketching ideas. I'm not a quick sketch artist. Somehow, all my sketches want to become a full blown drawing, and even then, I'm never quite sure where it will lead, or if I'll have a place for it. For example, I set about doing a "sketch" for a creepy zombie-type organist to play a wedding dirge in keeping with this year's theme: A Wedding to DIE for." I was thinking, a sort of creepy zombie type, (freshly risen from the grave) solemn and serious, (not too Haunted Mansionesque) with a white mop of wildly out of control hair. (sort of Albert Einstienish)

This is what I ended up with:

More of a drawing than a sketch, and some how, not really what I had in mind. To me, he seems that he'd be more at home in an old west, ghost town saloon playing the piano. Not a 1920's insane asylum. Never mind the fact that I'm not the least bit sure that I can reproduce this in 3-D. I don't know, I don't want to get so caught up in methods that I lose all sense of creativity and fun. It's just that my OCD, insecure, control freak mind struggles to achieve a plan and some sort of orderly control. Who am I kidding? My life just doesn't work that way.

Of course, I could be doing other, more productive things. I could be building the frame work for some new props. I could be building grave stones. I could be playing around with the air brush kit that my hubby recently got for me a week ago. I've never done any air brush work and I have no idea how. But I suspect that if I can figure it out and practice a bit, it could be useful for a lot of projects. There are a lot of things I could be doing, but . . .

I don't know why I always feel so intimidated and fearful of new things. Especially when it comes to creating - which is something I love to do. There's a part of me that's excited; that really wants to jump right in and get started. A logical side that says, 'You can do this, it'll be fun!'
But at the same time, there's a voice in the back of my head that's always making excuses. A side of me that's fearful - fearful of failure. That little voice that patiently waits for proof that I have no real talent or ability.
Good Lord, I'm almost 48 years old and I'm still fighting this battle. I really don't have to impress anyone, this is just stupid Halloween crap, nobody cares about this. I'm NOT an "Artist," I'm never going to be one - why do I do this to myself?

Damn distractions!

2010-02-25T22:23:00.000-08:00

I haven't had much time lately to get anything done as far as 2010 haunt work. I keep reading blogs, and everyone is busy, busy, busy. Unfortunately, I've been side tracked with flu , colds, sinus, and every imaginable winter time illness. As much as I love the snow, I'm feeling very tempted to pack up and move somewhere that stays warm and dry year round. (not likely)
In addition, I've been job hunting. I don't know if I'll actually end up with a job as a result of all this searching, it mostly depends on what kind of job Roy ends up with, and when.

Anyway, I'm truly hoping to get something done this weekend, even if it's just skull and pumpkin work. I really have so much to do this year, but I don't expect things will really get rolling until the weather warms up. At least I'm finally starting to feel better (knock on wood) so hopefully, I'll have something new to post soon.

Oh, and I almost forgot! My hubby brought home a gift for me the other day - Air brush equipment! I've never done any air brush work, and I can't wait to get downstairs and play around with it!!!!

Spoiled? . . . Who? . . . ME?

2010-02-15T21:35:00.000-08:00

Okay, Maybe just a bit. Of course, I wasn't always so blessed. It took me a while to realise that my husband wasn't a mind reader. Once I fully understood that I had to actually speak my desires, out loud, I started getting almost everything I asked for. Fortunately for my husband, most of my desires are fairly low maintenance.

For example, last week, I told my hubby that since our asylum would be hosting a wedding this Halloween; I was longing for an old organ so that I could have one of my ghouls play a little "wedding dirge." He said, "That's it? Just an organ? Does it have to work?" I told him "No, it just has to look the part."

The very next day . . .

POOF ! Just like magic, this appears in my garage. Well, sort of. Actually, He got on Craig's List and looked under the "free stuff" category; then he asked, "Is this what you had in mind?"

It's absolutely amazing what can be found on Craig's List - for free! And it does actually work, except the bass pedal needs some repair. (and for my purposes, it makes no difference to me.) All they wanted, was for someone to haul it away !

Now, my plan is: age it, add some pipes, a candelabra, a skull, maybe a few well placed cob webs; and create a crazy zombie musician to play it. I really wish that I was clever enough to animate it so it would look really creepy; but alas, I know nothing about such things. My hubby is the handy, mechanical one. Unfortunately, he is also a world renown procrastinator and if I ask him to do it, he'll say okay, then he'll make me crazy, and eventually I'll have to kill him. ( You don't stay married to someone for 20 years without knowing a thing or two) But that's okay, he did a great job getting it for me, and I'm still really excited.

And I almost forgot ! Hubby has promised to install a couple of electrical outlets for my basement work room - tomorrow !!! The entire basement only has TWO outlets and only one of them is close enough for my prop building. Oh yeah, I'm a very lucky girl !

This is gonna be SO much FUN this year!! Okay, lots to do, only 256 days left. I'll keep you posted.

* Oh ! did you notice? My first photo! More to come - I promise.

Back to the basement. . . .

What's in a name ?

2010-02-10T00:08:00.001-08:00

I know, I haven't posted any photos yet. I was just sitting here thinking about that. I think I may just have to high jack Jenn's camera and fix that problem. (at least with her camera I can down load photos to my computer - since the kids have made off with the cord for my camera - God only knows what they've done with it.) Not that I have a lot to post. I've been keeping fairly busy with the house lately.

It seems that in the month of February education isn't a high priority. No sooner do the kids get back from Christmas break, than they start scheduling days off school. Between Presidents day, teacher in service days, parent-teacher conferences; not to mention snow days, and flu related illness days, it seems that they are spending more time holding down my couch than learning!

With what little spare time (and energy) that I've had, I've continued to work on my paper mache projects - skulls and pumpkins. The problem is that once they're dried, the only place to store them, is in the basement; where they quickly start to feel damp again as a result of the cold temperatures and humidity from the laundry room. Oh well, as long as they don't get handled too much, I think they will be fine once the weather warms up. Of course, I don't dare add paper mache clay to them under those circumstances. :0
So, I just keep plugging along. So far, I've got two, almost three, skulls made, and almost two large pumpkins. (they still need paint, etc.) What's really interesting, is that as soon as I begin a new piece, Heather and Jenn start choosing names for it. So far, we have Shakespeare, Hamlet, and Odysseus - the skulls. (Although I have no idea how they tell them apart.) The pumpkins have been christened Charlie Brown and Lucy. Although, I keep warning them that the finished product may not resemble it's name sake at all. At least I hope they don't.

Yikes !!

2010-02-01T23:01:00.000-08:00

Remember what I said about taking extra precautions, so that my paper mache skulls and pumpkin didn't burst into flames while they finished drying in the oven? Well it almost happened. I had a skull sitting in the oven, with the door open to allow the heat to escape. No sooner had I hit the publish button on my last post, than Hubby came down stairs looking for a late night snack. As he was heading back to bed, he called me into the kitchen to investigate a "strange odor." My eyes went immediately to to the oven door and saw that as he was rummaging through the cabinets, he had closed it without peeking inside ! I rushed over and yanked it out. I'm using a cast resin mold for the skulls, and it came out looking considerably aged and very smelly. Thank goodness it hadn't had time to melt. The paper didn't catch fire, but it was . . . crispy around the edges.

Since then, I've been adding layers whenever I have time, and have started a second pumpkin. Since we are doing a wedding theme, I'm thinking I could get away with using them to decorate the chapel and create some spooky (yet romantic) light effects. And of course, you can never have too many skulls.

Until the weather decides to warm up, I've been working upstairs in the kitchen. Of course, I have crap all over the place. Maybe tomorrow, I can clear out a drawer or two to store somethings for a while? But at least it's inspired creativity in my daughter and interest in helping. She is quite the artist. (too bad she doesn't have a longer attention span) Over the weekend I've started working on some paper mache clay. This will be the first time I've worked with it and I'm seriously hoping that I don't screw it up. Wish me luck.

Waiting for a photo opportunity.

2010-01-28T00:44:00.000-08:00

I'm sick, and I feel like shit. If you want to hear the whole miserable story, you'll have to read my Howling at the Moon blog. If not, you"ll have to take my word on it. Anyway, I honestly don't get sick very often, but when I do, I do whatever the hell I want. (which usually includes a lot of pissing and moaning.) Since it's just not my nature to lay in bed, I got up and did some painting on Bob. (the Dr's unfortunate patient) I, more or less, took out all my miseries on him. I bruised up his eyes, and throat, and gave his face a touch more of stuffing to give him that dead, bloated look. Now, he pretty much looks the way I feel. I didn't take any photos because . . . now that I've tracked down my camera, some lunatic has stolen the memory card from it. (damn crazy people!)

This evening, I checked on my paper mache skull and pumpkin. They were (just barely) dry enough to add another layer of paper to. Since I didn't want the space heater running in the basement while I was sleeping, I laid them next to the oven while I baked some cookies. While the oven cooled down, I slipped them inside. Of course, I'll move them before I go to bed. (which will be soon.)
But don't worry, I've located Jenn's camera, and I'm keeping it handy - just in case they happen to burst into flames before then. ( having a couple of my props , a skull and pumpkin, spontaneously (sort of) burst into flames?! That would just be too cool to miss!!!)

Progress.

2010-01-27T02:46:00.000-08:00

Tuesday, I was able to get a first layer of paper mache on a large pumpkin and a skull. I've had them drying in the basement with a space heater on them during the day. (I've been down to check them several times since I've also been busy doing laundry today). It looks like they are drying fairly well - except for the eye sockets and the concave areas on the skull. (I think that may just take a little longer.) I honestly suspect that all this will just be a little slower process until the weather warms up a bit; but at least it keeps me busy and thinking about next year's haunt. In any case, even if I don't get a lot before spring, It's better than waiting until September to do anything. (like I did last year!) Maybe, I can get some painting done today.

* I even got some photos of work in progress! I just hope it all works out as planned.

Getting Started.

2010-01-23T23:23:00.000-08:00

Okay, maybe it isn't such a bad idea to have started this basement blog. I've been thinking that since I've been so unmotivated lately (due in large part to a sinus infection) it might be a good idea to start setting some goals - in black and white. And by posting them on my blog, maybe I'll be more likely to achieve them. I really hate making excuses for not following through - so I think I'll be more likely to actually DO something - Maybe.

So . . . like I said, my brain has been churning out a few ideas lately, I've got some sketches started, and I KNOW that most of the older props will need some reworking and repairs. So I think that might be a good place to start.

My goal for this week is: To start doing some of the technical repairs on Bob, (the Dr.'s lab patient) and on Edna. (our suicidal nurse/receptionist.) I'm not entirely sure if I will be changing out their clothes, or doing anything special with them, but I'm pretty sure they will be part of the guest list for the wedding. (Who knows? We could get hit with new inspiration between now and October.) But for now, I just want to touch up their make up, make sure that everything is in good working order and not going to fall apart at the last minute. (I despise last minute patch jobs.) Then, I need to do the same for Jack and Mary. (our bride and groom) Although, I really need to do more planning and get some more sketches drawn up for them.

I also know that I'm going to be needing several paper mache skulls (you can never have too many skulls) and I really want to try my hand at making some paper mache jack o lanterns this year. (they will make lovely wedding chapel decorations- dontcha think?) I'm really excited about getting started on those projects; but like I said, with the cold temps in the basement, that could be tricky. IF it turns out that I don't get stuck doing jury duty this week, I'd really like to try and get started on those things while the kids are at school. (maybe upstairs, in the kitchen?) They're the kind of projects that require drying time and doing things in steps, so I can have several going at once.

Anyway, I'm getting ahead of myself. When I do that I get anxious and overwhelmed by everything and I don't accomplish anything. One. Step. At. A. Time.

For this week, the goal is just to get started on something. Touch ups and repairs, maybe start some paper mache.

I'll let you know how that works out . . .

*And oh yeah, I've gotta remember to take photos! ;)

A wedding to DIE for.

2010-01-21T22:10:00.000-08:00

As a general rule, I try to avoid even thinking about the next year's haunt until after New Years. It usually isn't too difficult a task since I try to have everything torn down and stashed away by Thanksgiving; and from Thanksgiving until the kids go back to school, life around here isn't very condusive to creative thought. Well . . .the kids have been back in school for two weeks now, and I still haven't accomplished any real work. Of course, my basement has been far too cold to spend any time down there working. However, I'm happy to report that I have finally settled on a theme for 2010, and I've actually started cranking out a few ideas and sketches.

As we were hauling out some of the props that we've always used, I mentioned that our crypt keepers/ greeters, Jack and Mary, had been spending every October snuggled together on the same cemetery bench, you would think that they should consider tying the knot. No sooner were the words out of my mouth, than my daughter  said that next year, we should plan a wedding for them, and of course, she would be their wedding planner. I'll be honest, at first, I thought she was just joking around. But it wasn't long before Heather and Jenn were talking about colors, and dresses, and flowers, and invitations. At the time, I played along bringing up that they would have to pick out a china pattern, and I'd have to build them a quaint little coffin for two to store them in. Then, as planned, I put all those thoughts out of my mind until after the winter holidays. Well, mostly.

I have to admit that Halloween is never really far from my mind. In fact, I've spent a great deal of time digging even deeper into my blog reading lists and prop how to's. I've been truly inspired by the artistic work that I've found among other haunters. Even though my user name is Auburn~haired~artist, it's always been just a cute, catchy little name that I picked out. I've never really considered myself an actual "artist." I rarely sell any of my work, and in my mind, a title like "Artist" is reserved for people with much greater talent than myself. Still, as I clicked through the pages, a little voice kept saying to me: "You could do something like that !" Naturally, my responses always included words and phrases like: but and except. I could do that but . . . or I could do that except . . . Finally, that little voice demanded, (I have a lot of little voices in my head) 'What the hell are you so afraid of?! That you'll fail? Or that you might actually suceed? Or that someone might criticize it? What?!'   So . . . I had pretty much decided that I wanted to try doing some things that were more . . . artistic.
At least that was the plan, until I remembered how my daughter's eyes lit up at the thought of a wedding. How everyone giggled and joked about the idea of a couple of corpses getting married. How the girls had already started refering to it as: "A wedding to DIE for."   That's when I remembered that 2009 almost didn't happen because I couldn't get anyone very excited about Halloween; and that Halloween isn't about me, or if I'm a real artist, it's about fun, it's about the kids, and it's about doing things together - as a family.   I was honestly starting to think that my kids were just getting too old for this family fun crap. But maybe, I've gotten so involved with things that they have felt left out? I don't know. I was a little worried that the guys might not be as excited about a wedding. But when I brought up the idea of a new theme to them last night, they started coming up with all kinds of ideas. They might not be as romanticly inspired, but all my men have an awesome sense of humor. Maybe they just needed fresh inspiration?

So now, I'm getting EXCITED about this theme. It could be very cool, and very fun, and more than a little creepy! I think there is plenty of room for me to be creative and "artistic." (whatever that means) And the truth is, My kids ARE going to grow up someday. ( sooner than I anticipate) I want to make the most of our time together. So, as the family patron of Halloween in this asylum, I decree that Halloween 2010 will henceforth be known as the year of : "A wedding to DIE for."

BLOG SITE CURRENTLY UNDER CONSTRUCTION

2010-01-20T05:57:00.000-08:00

I'm new to documenting my work process and to be honest, I'm practically famous for waiting until the last minute to get things done. Be patient, I'll get things up and running just as soon as I can pry my ass out of the computer chair.