To keep them out

You will need a fence....not just any fence.  A fence with cool columns.

These are some of the photos of our columns and fencing class this year.  Was a fun class......it is really easier than it looks!  Everyone did a great job!

Tell me this is not real!!!

This is one of the scariest things I have ever seen!!!

I made the worst trim in history

The abbey was planned to be a three year project, so here we are on year three and I am finally removing the awful time that we put on most of the doors and windows. We had spent so much time building the structure that the trim really was an after thought.

I am much happier that it is gone now....new trim pieces in the works.

Que the Spinal Tap music

So earlier this year one of our favorite students referred someone to us that needed a Stonehenge facade.  It is a local card company called Stonehenge Designs here in Portland.  They needed it for a show and thought we could help.

Yeah, we can do that.

The design is actually based on the real stones - cause we are that good.

We used our magnet technique so that they would connect together and also so they could be magnetized to the booth.  We are a clever group.

Since it was foam, it needed a crate to ship it to the shows....husband created these great plywood crates.

Of course it has our logo....and I was nice enough to cut there logo out for a stencil also.

Lot of fun and something a little different.  Now, if someone would pay us to do a life-size Stonehenge!

Free foam to good home

The Davis Graveyard build season is coming to an end....we set up in 2 weeks!!!  So as usual we have a lot of scrap foam to get rid of.  If you are in the area email me at chris@davisgraveyard.com and arrange to pick it up.

For the last two years I have had people show up in a car swearing they can fit all the foam in the car....I watched as they broke up big pieces of foam that could have been used for a big project, so they would fit in their car...only to find that almost half of the foam did not fit.

And despite their promises to come get the rest of it that night or the next day, neither have.  So sorry, they have ruined it for the rest of you.

You must have a truck or van or two (that arrive at the same time) SUVs in order to pick this up.

If you arrive in a car claiming ninja-like foam packing skills......not buying it.

Hope everyone is having a great build season!

I have lost you all

I go into blogger to check on you wonderful blog friends.....and blogger says that I am "not currently following any blogs" - right, I just hit the wrong button and this is a big mistake!

No....still "not following any blogs"?

WT&^%#***&%$!!!!

Sorry everyone.  I will see what I can do.  If not, I might need someone to give me a list of all the cool Halloween blogs that I might need to "re-follow"

:(

A crypt of our own

If I have not said it today - then I will say it again.  I have the best crew in the whole Halloween world.

One of my crew did most of the work on this new prop for the yard (but primarily for the party, because at night the screen for the children ghosts will cover it.)

For years I have hated that you can see the fence to the patio garden from the street during the day.....and the fact that you can see part of the shop, and husband thinks I am crazy for wanting to paint the shop back (roof and all) or covering it with a really large piece of fabric, you know Christo and Jeane-Claude style.)  

So this year we decided to build a crypt wall.  It is four 4x8 panels covered with foam, textured, painted with trim and name plaques added.

My clever crew thought it would be fun to put the crews last names on the crypts.

Here you can see that it is four 4x8 panels attached.

Thelin (the creator)

Reid

Rinker

Sharp

Davis (see only room for two, no kids...I like that :D)

Westerman-Black...this one is an inside joke (chuckle)

As you can see we attached the trim, doors and plaques on most of them.  But the two that are on a seam had to have the those bits attached by magnets so they can be removed for storage.

And for the record.  This is the FIRST prop to have color.  As you can see there is red on the bricks.....that is only because this one is not in the yard and more of a piece for our party decor.

We even have a super special feature (happy accident) that was created when we set this up.  I might tell you about it if you are nice :)

I will post more pictures of the back and how the trim is installed.

A couple of our friends commented on where their name was....don't worry, as you can see we have more fence to cover.  There is plenty of room at the graveyard.....and by the way, you should not be in such a hurry to join us :D

So I ask husband....is a bruise technically blood "shed"?

I mean, it got out of the veins, just not out of my body, if so I think I made a large sacrifice to the Halloween gods."

This is the point that husband mutes the TV and says "What did you just ask me?  And why?"


Well, I was thinking about posting how the abbey tried to kill me during set up this weekend.  I have this huge bruise on my arm from one of the panels.

Then I thought about it.

I actually ran into the panel (with my usual grace and style so I am so glad we do not film at the Graveyard - or I would be very entertaining on YouTube), so technically....

I really should say I tried to kill the abbey and it was just defending itself.

I bent down to pick up something stood up and leaned forward at the same time...right into a corner of one of the panels.  I think he took it as a hostel attack, obviously unaware of my famous clumsiness, because he did not budge an inch.  In fact...I think it lunged forward into my arm.  Sure looks like it.

I learned again that us humans are soft and squishy and a wood 1x3 frame is hard and pointy.  Ouch!

I just want the abbey to know that I am sorry, I did not mean to attach you and I promise to be nicer to you in the future.

I think husband felt more sorry for the abbey panel than for me.  Let's hope that it starts to get cooler, because my short sleeved days are over for a few weeks - otherwise husband is going to get some nasty looks from strangers.  Not from our friends, because everyone knows what a klutz I am :D

Anyway...the abbey frame is up and we are working on replace the archway trim and updating the front of the abbey again.  Some projects never end!