Frog on the Pumpkin

When we started this piece.  We wanted to make it look like an unfinished statue so we thought we would use monster mud and chicken wire to match her clothing to create the uncarved stone area. Thinking that this would match the existing part of the statue. We know that the pattern of the chicken wire shows through fabric when it is mudded so we thought we would just cover her in batting first to soften the pattern and then cover it in fabric. Not our best idea, as that now she started to look like a stuff animal. Although I have made a stuff animal into a prop before....this was not the effect we were looking for. (Pictures are a bit shadowy because we were working in the shade cause it was almost 100 degrees last weekend!  Made the mud dry ultra fast.) We ended up removing all the fabric, batting and chicken wire and starting over.  Just sharing this for any bloggers/haunters that have ever had to remake a prop....we have been doing it for ...

Because I have strange in my blog URL :D Before I came up with Frog on a Pumpkin, I thought I would call my blog Strange Little Girl cause I am such a fan of The Stranglers . But some other person had a blog with a similar name and it was way different so I changed the title of the blog….but did not change the URL. To this day I regret that decision. So either you guys like me (cause you called me strange and I like strange) or because I it is in my blog URL. Either way thank you great people for mentioning me. Thanks for the great award. Magikal Seasons Haunt Jaunts Laughing Wolf So I am supposed to pass this on to some strange people…..but with the company that visits this site….it is really hard to define strange :D Anyway, check out the site for the upcoming book .  I love books...I am sure this will become part of my collection. I think I am going to skip this part…unless I find sometime to go put a list together. Each and every one of you are strange. That is ...

skulls that is why you need to learn to mold and cast them so that you can have all the skulls you want.  I have to admit when it comes to using skulls in the display I am very spoiled. He have about 5 molds of various sizes and this year we have created two new original designs to add to the mix (those cement ones I posted about.) So when ever any of us need a skull for any purpose, we just pour one out of expanding foam and in 15 minutes, we are good to go.  If you only need part of a skull you can just fill the mold half way or you can just cut or sand off what you don't want.  They are just great to have around.  And the foam can be easily altered to so that you can create what ever face you need.  We love them. So it was no surprise to us when we started our classes that this was the most popular class.  Unfortunately is was also the least attended. Two reasons. Because of the dry time of the rubber and the mold, it takes two days to do.  C...

so I was thinking of letting her go to that prop graveyard (or someone else's yard.)  I was ready to retire Beloved*,  this year will mark her 10th year in the yard.  She is now officially the oldest prop that I still display.  She has had multiple paint finishes since she is the prop that we learned to mud with.  We learned the valuable lesson that yes, although close out paint is fine for making mud, make sure it is a color that you don't  mind having in the yard.  She was made with red paint, so the mud was a lovely shade of pink.  And we all know how I love pink :D But every time I mention that I want to get rid of her she sends a message out to the universe and all of a sudden I get comments through email or someone visiting the yard that tell me how much they love that prop.  {sigh}  So I guess she stays. That being the case, she was is in very sorry shape.  I had to dismantle her dress and remud it and remove her from...

my voice mails before I opened the window in the music room.  I open one and then the other to notice that.....it looks like the holder for the screen is missing. These screens cannot be more than 4 hours old. So, I close that window thinking....maybe they missed a screen holder and proceed to open the rest of the windows. I grab my phone and notice that I have several voice mails from husband.....hum, wonder what he wants, so I start listening and then I see him walk up to the door so I hang up. He is all in a panic because he left me messages "NOT TO OPEN THE SCREENS!!!!" He dashes to the windows and starts closing them. Apparently Mason (the big cat) was leaning against one of them, it broke the holder and he tumbled out the window (I still go with my running start theroy).  About an hour after the screens were installed. We cannot have anything nice at our house :D We put industrial holders on the screens.  We are going to give them a test run today....

the bird feeders.  We are having screens installed in the new windows today.  Mason weights 17 lbs, I am sure he can make it through a screen if he gets a running start :) You are getting cat posts because I am too busy to load the prop building pictures from this weekend on the blog....I think I have time tonight, if I can get away from the life eating vortex that is my job :)

at the graveyard.  I am evil, I have bird feeders placed right outside the windows :) The cats are still waiting for the Chicken Channel  (one of husbands favorites of my old posts) to come back on the air.  That was their favorite.