Guess what this is?

LOL! You will likely never guess, cause it is just too weird. It is part of a valuable lesson we learned last weekend. Like all mistakes, it starts innocent enough.....

We need a single right hand for the new half-and-half angel prop - or is it left? - I can't remember, anyway we need a cast of a hand, specifically female. Our old hand cast has seen better days, the mold is too worn and you have to do a lot of clean up work when it comes out, and it looks awful.

Have a mentioned that I am picky? Cause I am - if husband is reading this he is likely nodding his head in agreement so much he is going to give himself whiplash. :)

So, we need a new hand mold. Our ghost model is one of my favorite minions and the best helper. Note to all of you. Find a friend that is getting some art related degree, preferably their masters. I cannot tell you how great it is to have that resource, she is sooooo creative and just as picky as me when it comes to details! I love her!!! She made the lovely guest book I featured a while back.

She is also super cute and has little hands so we thought we would cast her hand for our new mould. Just a one off out of algenite so we could get it done this weekend.

Yeah, lesson we already knew and did not heed. If you are going to mold something....do it the right way. This boys and ghouls (ha, watching way too much Tales from the Crypt) is the wrong way to do it.

First, when mixing algenite, water temperature and amount of algeinte are important, mixed incorrectly, you just make something that resembles beige jello :(

Then, when you do get the mix right and you get something more the consistency of beige Spam. Equally disgusting.

Then , we think, well, why don't we just pour expanding foam directly into the algenite mold. That should work!

How many years have we been building props anyway? :)

Bad idea goes even more wrong when you mix up too much expanding foam for the mold. Hence the beige soda bottle mushroomy thing you see before you.

Silly prop makers.

Expanding foam will not set up in a mold made of that much water. Really? You think we would have seen that coming.

In the end we got a big mushroom with a small withered hand at the bottom. If there is anything left of it when I go back in the shop this weekend, I will snap a picture.

The sad part is, no drinking involved...we managed to do this totally sober. Sad really :D