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Showing posts from September, 2010

This story did not end up

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the way I predicted. During the two weeks that we were working on the Extreme Home Makeover project a package came in the mail from ShellHawk.  It said something on it about a "cute cuddly spider" or something like that.  I know Shell, she is very cool, and funny and talented and beautiful....but the reason that I like her best is her evil sense of humor....likes attract in this case. Anyway, I had visions of all kinds of terribleness lying wait for me in that box.  It sat of at least a week, cause I was not going to open it home alone.  Actually, I was just plain not going to open it. I will admit it.  I was afraid.  Not proud of it...but it is true. They call it a phobia for a reason :D Back to.....so one night we (husband and I and the cats......cause in the whole three stories of the house, with many comfy places to sleep....the cats have to be where ever you are don't they) are sitting in the office answering emails when husband picks up the ...

I post this cool video

that I discovered on Pumpkinrot's site about an owl and a pumpkin.  It is adorable, check it out if you have not seen it.  I post it on my Facebook page and you know what my evil husband does.... He posts this one as a comment.  Saying "it is more my style"  Really?! He might be sleeping on the couch for a while :D

I am glad that someone

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remembered to take pictures during setup :) Thanks Dawn - she snapped this great picture of Hal, doing what he does best......guard the props. I have a funny feeling that this is going to be his new favorite napping spot.

Want to know just

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how sick I was last week?  Twice the crew had to come in and wake me up from napping on the couch to show me how a project was going.....very sad. But Dorie was happy, my kitty loves napping with me. :) Anyway, one of the projects is the re-engineering of the coachman.  Nothing anyone will notice, but we swapped out the head* and moved all the electronics out of his chest and below the seat.  This will make him easier to take down at night and less top heavy. While I was napping the crew got the final touches working and he looks like he might actually work most of the season.....fingers crossed.  And maybe, if husband reads this post, he will be nice enough to supply us with pictures of his and Dan's handwork.....oh and while you are at it be sure to ask him about the new outdoor project that he loves so much.  It is very cool, trust me, you want to hear about that too!!! *bonus points to anyone that caught that "swapping out the heads" reference...

I was so busy this weekend that

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this is the only picture of set up that I managed to snap on my phone......I know it looks mostly set up.  But that is a lie.  Most of the props are in the yard.....that is 1/3 of the setup.  By Sunday, with the abbey and most of the lighting completed, I would say we are half way.  We still have a long way to go. We are using new stands for the projectors this year.  The coachman set up looks the same....but is completely different on the inside.  The new video effect will be awesome...but we do not know how we are setting up the camera....so that base is still a mystery.  The other mystery is my replacement candles......I was still burning down real candles last night....we have never been this behind before :( We have the rest of this week, and next weekend to work it out. If you hear screaming in the distance.....don't worry, just the FQ having a nervous breakdown. :D

Scaffolding when up last weekend

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today we set up the yard.....the madness begins!  Wish me luck :D Hal was his usual helpful self, of course :)

Two things to tell you

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First.....what are you doing here!!! The new Hauntcast is out.  Go download it now!  NOW I tell you! :) And second.  I really need someone to make me one of these.  Would this not be awesome in my office? Actually, as much as I like the frog....the Easter Bunny is classic!  Thanks to Haunted Design House for the link!  Check out Slightly Warped for more pictures Okay, that was it.  Go back to prop making!!  What, did you think I was going to show you pictures of inside the Nightmare Factory?!?!  Maybe.....if you're nice :D

Be careful what you wish for

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I cannot tell you how many times I have seen a truck on the road loaded with pink foam and joked in my head "Hey, can you drop that off at my house?" The reality is quite different.....nothing like my dreams :D So just incase you wanted to know.  This is what 116 sheets of one inch pink insulation foan would look like in your driveway. Scary, huh?    :D FQF

We were so proud of ourselves

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for texturing 116 sheets of pink foam to look like cinder block that we signed a sheet (click to enlarge picture) and took a picture of the whole crew to celebrate!    You will see that Hal managed to get in the photo....cause he always does. I guess he should, we has the supervisor and he tested several of the finished sheets for their "napping" capability :D This was the project that we worked on Labor Day weekend for Extreme Home Makeover for the Nightmare Factory....it was kinda weird at the time, not being able to post or blog about this project.  We were sworn to secrecy...so everyone believed it was for our haunt....116 sheets of foam...I mean I am known for being crazy, but..... the fact that everyone believed me worries me a bit :D Thanks to everyone.... Hiding in the back: Mark (Matt's brother - who was visiting from out of town) Left: (another) Mark Left: Angie, "husband" Bottom: Hal (Halloween Cat), Matt's Mom (visiting from out of town), Lisa...

Hello? Anyone home?

Sorry for my lack of posting and my erratic blog visits and comments.  That Extreme Home Makeover project set us back on time a bit more than we thought and I have gotten a very bad cold that is making me move very slow at a time when I should be in over drive :D  Work is very busy, so staying home sick is not really an option :( On top of that, my phone where I primarily post to my blogs, update both facebook and twitter decided to die and it has taken a week to get the phone replaced and set up....it is working now, so hopefully we will be back to normal soon. Wah, wah, wah,.....I know, I am boring myself too.  Not great excuses but I hope starting tomorrow, things will be back to normal.

I really hate when

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this happens :D see more Lolcats and funny pictures
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Still collecting Etsy items for the door prizes for the party.  And how could I not grab a bunch of pumpkins from Shellhawk !  I have two of them myself and have purchased several for gifts for friends.....everyone is nothing by happy....of course. So in honor of this latest addition to my door prize stash, I am changing out the Etsy link at the right to her store .  She has fresh inventory available, so be sure to stop by and go shopping!!  She is offering free shipping for a limited time so what are you waiting for.....shop NOW!! :)

I hate when they

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come in pairs!!!! One spider is plenty! :) Head on over to the Spiderfest2010 blog to check out the two latest additions to the Spidefest 2010 party. I call it a party....yeah, a scary party that I am going to need therapy after :) Thanks to both Stolloween and Grimvisions.....I think it is thanks I am feeling.....or I am having a panic attack, it is hard to tell at this point.

We used to have parrots

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so I find this really funny. When we got them, they could talk.  So we could of and should of taught them to say "kitty is a stupid-head" :) About a year later, all they did was "meow". Damn cats taught them that while we were at work.  Cats are evil. And we all know how much I like evil. :D

We got the finished

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song/music track for our new video prop. It is awesome!!! I would share the final version with you, but the singer and the person that arranged this song did it for free, and I know how the internet is and I really do not want to abuse their favor.  We will have a version of it on our 2010 video. Trust me.  It is amazing!! We are filming her singing this weekend so we can tweak the video and then carve the face.  We are really cutting this one to the wire......where does the time go! :D

Do I trust

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Shellhawk?  Depends....well, most of the time....but in this case, not so much so.  You see this package from her has been sitting on the table in the dining room since....I don't remember...I am not even sure what day it is. :) Anyway, as I said on Facebook - I am not opening this.....I need someone to come on over and open this for me...... See most of you have been nice enough to post pictures on your blog BEFORE you send me the spider so that I can prepare myself.....this one showed up unannounced. I am afraid, so very afraid.

Is and always will be

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the man.

He says, "well wait, what constitues a category 3..."

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.... spider?" In my mind there is screaming and I am thinking "OMG, please be kidding, please be kidding!!!" Then I watch husband hold up his hand and say "When the legs would stick out of your hands if you held it in your hand....about 4 inch legs." Dan says "Okay, then it is just a category 2." I feel like I am in a nightmare.  I mean I always kid about how much I love the Phil Jupitus routine about spiders, but I never in my wildest dreams thought I would be having this conversation in real life.  This is really not happening to me. ___________________________________________ So, we are at the haunt build working on a soda machine in the cafeteria room...making it look like all the soda, which must have been radioactive (that is why it is green and yellow and bubbly) oozed out all the sides.  BTW - Great Stuff is not your friend :)  Okay, not my friend. Anyway, Dawn opens it up to attach the skeleton arm to where the cans come...

I think they have all

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packed up and gone on to the next project :) Now we can get back to our own haunt.  Thanks to all our friends and their families for helping out. Only 4 days until we set up the scaffolding. Only 10 days until we set up the props Only 16 days until the art show Only 17 days until we work on the final details of the display Only 24 days until we turn on the yard for the first night ...then the madness really starts :D Only 46 days until Halloween! Everyone ready!!!

Just a small taste

of the reveal for Extreme Home Makeovers Nightmare Factory project. They took video of the dorm reveal and aired it...but the haunt reveal did not happen until after 9pm so it did not make the news.  Here are a few pictures . I will let you know when I can post our photos.  One more event and we are done with this project for now.  It has been a long, wild ride that I would have not missed for the world. But I am tired and really, really need to work on our stuff so we can be ready for Halloween. BTW - anyone got moss?

I know a little about this

from the AP - "Famed horror director and musician Rob Zombie will be working on a special project in the haunted house (Nightmare Factory) to be unveiled during the reveal. Zombie's credits include directing the movies "Halloween," "House of a 1,000 Corpses," and "The Devil's Rejects"." And it is super cool little project that our friend Tattoo worked on with Rob Zombie - you guys are going to love it when you see it. Hummmm....guess that means I have another secret :D Here is what I can do....after the show airs, I can give you the behind the scenes "how they created it" breakdown. :D

I just have to say

again that the Frog Queen has the best friends. Not only did they spend all Labor Day weekend making 116 panel walls for the haunt, we spent Friday, Saturday and Sunday, 12-14  hours a day this last weekend on the haunt for Nightmare Factory for Extreme Home Makeover .....but now, several of the crew, that were able to take time off work, are heading down today (Monday) to help finish the last minute details, like webbing and set dressing. Our fabulous photographer is also heading down there to take pictures of the haunt all day.  I wish I could be there with you guys (my work is not so flexible) - thanks so very much.  I am really not worthy. :) I am a very blessed lady indeed.

I can finally tell you

my secret. Rob Zombie is playing a benefit concert right now for the Extreme Home Makeover Nightmare Factory remodel. He has been at the haunt all day. Cool guy!

Well, we have packed up

the shop, as much as will fit in the truck and car and we are on our way to Salem early tomorrow. The blog will be pretty silent for a few days....I wish I could post, but I am told that Ed is not allowed to see the haunt while it is being worked on.  It is supposed to be a surprise on Monday, so I cannot post any pictures on my blog, Facebook or twitter.....but I will be posting as much as I can. I will be back on Monday with cool pictures and hopefully great stories.  Everyone have a great weekend working on your own haunts!!! Cheers!

You do not have to be there

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to be part of helping out Nightmare Factory getting a makeover.  They are also taking cash donations to help them purchase items that are not being donated.  Click on this link and go to the bottom of the page and click on the donation link to help out. I know that several local haunters have asked about helping out and we really appreciate it.  I believe that they are also still looking for volunteers so if you click here , you can sign up to help. They are still looking for supplies so if you own a business that can help them out or if you work somewhere that has the supplies...please ask your boss if they can help with a donation.  The kids will really appreciate it. I/we want to clarify that the project we are working on is us being part of the team that is working with Bad Boys Scenic Design, we are basically being Tattoo and Bert's minions for the weekend, we are representing them and not Davis Graveyard .  This is not our party, so it is really no...

My cats would

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never be so kind as to warn me.  They would just drag the bag of cat food with them out the door as they left me to die.

As usual

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I do not know what I am doing so this is going to suck. But for better or worse, I have finally got up our Etsy store.   http://www.etsy.com/shop/DavisGraveyard As of today I have most of the tombstone accents up and about half of the epitaphs.  I still need to take pictures of all the cement skulls, but it started raining outside....so I gotta set a place up in the house. And I have been a little distracted with other projects. The fourth section of the store will be the Frog Queen follies....just some of the items that I Halloweenify or make.  Don't look for anything in there until late next week. So if you are looking for accents for your tombstones like we use in our display or you need an epitaph designed and printed.  Head on over there and take a look. Now, back to prop building!!

This could not have happened

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to a nicer guy.  Jeff and I are really honored to be part of the Nightmare Factory makeover.  We had never met Ed before this May, we had heard of him from other haunt friends and all the word was how great of a guy he is and how fun the haunt is.  It was a blast to meet him and all the great kids and see the haunt this May. We where very excited when we got the call to help.  We know how hard Ed has been working on the pouring the floor to get ready from his facebook posts.  We have wanted to help but nothing worked with our schedule since we were working on our own haunt, so when this came up we kinda felt it was meant to happen. We joked on the phone with Tattoo that that was our "free" (well, in a rough sense) weekend so it worked out perfectly.  Well, at least that is how it started. Then mid last week the vendor that was sending preformed cinder block panels fell through.  They asked us if we could help them out.  Of course we ...

I learned a lesson

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never show one of your students the advanced tombstone project that you are working as a sample in the class. It gives them ideas. Usually our tombstone classes are beginning class that just teach you how to carve a simple tombstone.  But since our last class of the year was so small (we had a few no shows) I decided to let this person add a few things to their tombstone. What started out as some ivy turned into a skull and ivy and then we dug out a skeleton hand too, which had to be attached with expanding foam, it was a bit much.  More complicated that I should have let happen in a beginning class, since they were unable to finish the tombstone because the mud had to dry for 24 hours. It was a good experience to show the other people in the class a few other techniques.  So next year I think I am going to do an advanced class for repeat students. But first I have to live through Halloween this year :D

I have a really big

secret.  I can't tell any of you right now.....cause it is a secret.  Except for that one person I told :D I am evil, I know and I am fine with that. :D

In retrospect

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I wish I had fallen off the planet like everyone thought I did :D But I did not....I was keeping a secret.  But as of Sunday evening , it is no longer a secret, so I can break my silence and let you know what the Graveyard crew has been up to for this holiday weekend.....and almost every waking moment since then. See it started with at phone call over a week ago.....our friend Mike aka Tattoo from Bad Boys Scenic Design that have haunts all over the states, calls us and asks us a favor. Would we help him with a project in Oregon? "Sure, what do you need my friend?" "Well, I am working on a project for Extreme Home Makeover for their Halloween edition, and I could really use your help in creating some rooms." Now, if the Frog Queen and husband would have had any idea what " Extreme Home Makeover " was, we would have been really excited and, then promptly said "we love you Tattoo, you know we do, but no". :D But since Tattoo is our fr...

Frog on the Pumpkin: Stirling Castle Graveyard -Repost

Cause I am excited that we are heading back to the UK in a few months, I thought I would repost some of my favorite Scotland graveyard tales. Frog on the Pumpkin: Stirling Castle Graveyard : "There are few places in the UK that I will visit over and over, no matter how many times I have been, and towards the top of the list is Sti..."

Somethimes artists

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can get in your head and tap right into your nightmares :)

My only excuse for this post

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is that it is my blog, and I like cats.  I like dogs too.  But I only have cats at the moment...and they have me under this spell like cats do.  And I work for a boring company, about as boring as it gets, so I LOVE when I see a company/business/agency that has a sense of humor. Only a cat has the attitude to get on a rail car without a ticket or pass and only in Ireland would said cat be issued a rail card . Awesome, the person that thought to use twitter to locate the owner and give the cat his own rail pass, that person deserves a raise!  Sometime I make myself laugh (and as Craig Ferguson says) that is half the battle. Thank you and now back to prop building :D

So, can I get that in black?

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Well, apparently you can!  It looks like spray foam comes in black.  Beckett (and a few other companies) make it for sealing ponds.  (A little spendy, but a small price to pay for keeping your skin.  Cause if you get Great Stuff on you....it never comes off....without a sacrifice :D ) Thanks to my friend Andy for finding this for me! Not that I use the stuff much....but I thought I would share it with you fellow haunters. Now if they would just make Styrofoam in black.  Yes, that is what the Frog Queen wants for Christmas, black foam!!

So did you carve that

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out of a block of foam? Really, ah...no, that would have been the easy way :D Remember this prop?  Well, as you can see our original idea to mud the craved rock shape looked more like she was coverd in a blanket ....it was painful.  We ripped it apart and went with Plan B, which I think was originally Plan A.   We like to do things the hard way. Instead of the chicken wire and fabric we decided to just make the uncarved part of the statue out of pieces of scrap pink foam.  Elyssa spent a lot time fitting pieces in there and then we used, glue, two-part expanding foam and Great Stuff to hold it together and fill in the gaps. First paint job was...well, not good.  So here she is in her (mostly)*finished state. Elyssa and I are not 100% happy with her...but she will do for this year. I present: Margie B. She is the replacement video effect for Dean the talking head.  We love Dean, but after 4 years...he and we need a break.  Margie B is...

It is never too early

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to wish someone Happy Halloween.  No, never.

Funny thing happened

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on the way to the forums.  We got majorly distracted.  Husband and I have to apologize for our complete lack of participation in any of the forums this year.  We have been bad haunters.  Just like the rest of you we are running out of time, but we will find a way.  Our current plan of attack is for me to hit GOE and ChateauGrrr  and husband will get HalloweenForum and Haunt Forum . See you haunters out there!  Looking forward to catching up with everyone!

We are sorting through

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pictures of the display for a art showing for our fantastically talented photographer Marci this October.  I have been looking through the pictures a lot lately, they are all fantastic. (And thanks to the friends that have helped us choose.) But this one, out of the thousands that she has taken will always be my favorite. I have it framed, it is hanging in my living room. I remember the first time she showed it to me.  Took my breath away.  To me, it captures exactly how I envision the display.  She made us look so much better than we are :D  It is perfect.

Because we don't get enough

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trick r' treaters on Halloween.  We decided to make one of our own :D (that is a big lie...the "enough" part....we get thousands of people.) Actually, this prop came about from the popularity of the Superman costume curled in the fingers of one of the reapers with a trick or treat bag on the ground with candy spilling out of it.  It is usually towards the back until Halloween night, then we move it to the front.  I never get tired of hearing little kids whisper to their parents "why does he have the costume?" or "what happened to the kid?" We like to tell them that that is what happens to kids that try to come up the driveway :D The first time I said that I thought for sure that some parent was going to be offended, but so far, everyone chuckles. It has been so much fun we decided that we wanted to make our own TOT that we can move around the display, either in the yard or out in front of the display. Since we are big fans of classic costum...