Countdown to Halloween 6
Fun things you can make with styrofoam, model magic, great stuff insulation spray and paint...
I always thought we needed a better address post. This zombie's head I made with a motion activated skull I found at Cost Plus. His jaw chatters and eyes look left and right while lighting up. The sculpt and animation was great but it made a lame laughing sound with an organ music sting. It's sound quality was just garbled noise. I opened it up and cut the audio wire out.
I've loved pirates long before Johnny Depp made them cool to everyone. I've always wanted to have a pirate skeleton on the lawn and finding a discounted "Jack Sparrow" costume gave me no reason not to make one. I know, I know...Capt. Jack did not have a hook, but I could not help giving him one.
My brother Ted spent an afternoon in the tree making the web for a giant spider.
This guy is the end result of trying to create the illusion he was juggling the pumpkins. I had several clear plastic posts behind him with these pumpkins and more mounted at various heights. The posts kept warping and bending because of the weight. I troubled shooted it enough to make work, but I got frustrated and decided to move on, maybe next year.
The guillotine is up again this year and I added a new skeleton pulling the rope holding the blade.
This weekend I'm setting up the enter and exit path for the Trick n' Treaters on the big night. I'm still adding a few scares.
I always thought we needed a better address post. This zombie's head I made with a motion activated skull I found at Cost Plus. His jaw chatters and eyes look left and right while lighting up. The sculpt and animation was great but it made a lame laughing sound with an organ music sting. It's sound quality was just garbled noise. I opened it up and cut the audio wire out.
I've loved pirates long before Johnny Depp made them cool to everyone. I've always wanted to have a pirate skeleton on the lawn and finding a discounted "Jack Sparrow" costume gave me no reason not to make one. I know, I know...Capt. Jack did not have a hook, but I could not help giving him one.
My brother Ted spent an afternoon in the tree making the web for a giant spider.
This guy is the end result of trying to create the illusion he was juggling the pumpkins. I had several clear plastic posts behind him with these pumpkins and more mounted at various heights. The posts kept warping and bending because of the weight. I troubled shooted it enough to make work, but I got frustrated and decided to move on, maybe next year.
The guillotine is up again this year and I added a new skeleton pulling the rope holding the blade.
This weekend I'm setting up the enter and exit path for the Trick n' Treaters on the big night. I'm still adding a few scares.
Little bits for Knit Bits
I made a few fun props for DIY's Knitty Gritty this week. The show has "knit bits", short little nuggets of tips and tricks for knitters.
I made a haystack, a gunslinger holster for an electric hand mixer, a yarn ball that runs away and tiny workout gear for a "knit bit" on hand excersises...
Knitty Gritty host, Vickie Howell, gives her hand a rest between takes...
I made a haystack, a gunslinger holster for an electric hand mixer, a yarn ball that runs away and tiny workout gear for a "knit bit" on hand excersises...
Knitty Gritty host, Vickie Howell, gives her hand a rest between takes...
Craft Lab...View from a Host.
Portrait of a man thinking: "Now I get paid to do what they made me do at Happy Face Rest Home".The amazing, talented and if in a good mood ...nice host of Craft Lab, Jennifer Perkins, has posted lots of behind the scene photos from the show.
Check them out at www.flickr.com/photos/80545533@N00/
Jen posted only the photos that showed her in the best light. I'll post my own pictures of her beating production staff not having her diet coke ice cold in the morning and her diva tantrums later.
The Crafty Chica and me.
The Crafty Chica herself, Kathy Cano Murillo took time to write a post about me. She must of been really scrapping the bottom of the barrel for something to write about yesterday.Kathy has to be one of the sweetest, nicest, talented and most productive crafters in the world.
How sweet is she?...She is the only person I've met who described big sweaty Lucha Libre Mexican wrestlers in such a way that they seem like mythic warriors who hand feed baby birds in their off hours.
I learned alot from her as in this past post... click this link to read... The Line is Drawn.
She really has to lay off the glitter though...it's been 2 weeks since she was a guest on Craft Lab and I'm still finding some in the lint trap of my dryer.
Click on or go to www.craftychica.com/blogs/diary/ to read her unexpected post about me, then to her home page to enjoy all her work.
E.T. 20th anniversary party
This is a design/idea I had for event planner, Edgar Zamora for the E.T. 20th anniversary after screening party at the Shrine Auditorium in 2002.
Sunday Sketchbook Page
Some kind of room divider idea with colored plexi glass and mangy cats...
Click on picture to enlarge.
Click on picture to enlarge.
DIY's CRAFT LAB this week...Part 2
Although DIY network's Craft Lab wrapped on Wednesday, today was the Art Dept's last day spent packing, doing inventory and sending the last bits of the set off to storage.
For my team, Andri and Jason, it has been a very long 10 weeks working 7am to 7 pm every day shooting Uncommon Threads and Craft Lab back to back.
We had fun today role playing by parking in the primo reserved spaces. Andri was the host of the show, while Jason and I were big wig producers.
I told Andri I wanted this year's inventory to include as much detail as possible with a huge list. She took me too literally...I didn't know she had a clipboard that big.
I told Jason we had to be superhero's today and work super fast and get done super quick... he took it too literal as well...
My goal for the day was to get out of Dodge and ride off into the sunset, hours before the sun really did set...we did it!
Andri and Jason have been by my side for many shows for several years now. I have asked both to take on the craziest, most mundane, most complex, most degrading, most trusted and most creative of tasks at times.
For anyone wanting to be a prop/art dept. person on a "how to" studio show... know this...only 10% of your daily job is being creative. 90% of your day is spent as errand runner, laborer, luggage handler, dishwasher, concierge, stand in associate producer, backstage script doctor, shipping clerk, tour guide, stage manager, safety inspector, accountant, busboy and most requested need...janitor.
Andri and Jason do all without complaint, most days. I can't imagine working on any project without them.
Now go to I-Tunes and download "Wings beneath my Feet" and then re-read this entire post listening to it...come on...you need a good cry.
For my team, Andri and Jason, it has been a very long 10 weeks working 7am to 7 pm every day shooting Uncommon Threads and Craft Lab back to back.
We had fun today role playing by parking in the primo reserved spaces. Andri was the host of the show, while Jason and I were big wig producers.
I told Andri I wanted this year's inventory to include as much detail as possible with a huge list. She took me too literally...I didn't know she had a clipboard that big.
I told Jason we had to be superhero's today and work super fast and get done super quick... he took it too literal as well...
My goal for the day was to get out of Dodge and ride off into the sunset, hours before the sun really did set...we did it!
Andri and Jason have been by my side for many shows for several years now. I have asked both to take on the craziest, most mundane, most complex, most degrading, most trusted and most creative of tasks at times.
For anyone wanting to be a prop/art dept. person on a "how to" studio show... know this...only 10% of your daily job is being creative. 90% of your day is spent as errand runner, laborer, luggage handler, dishwasher, concierge, stand in associate producer, backstage script doctor, shipping clerk, tour guide, stage manager, safety inspector, accountant, busboy and most requested need...janitor.
Andri and Jason do all without complaint, most days. I can't imagine working on any project without them.
Now go to I-Tunes and download "Wings beneath my Feet" and then re-read this entire post listening to it...come on...you need a good cry.
DIY's CRAFT LAB this week...Part 1.
This has been a long week working on DIY's Craft Lab. Lot's to tell but here are a few highlights...
Show Producer Brian and his A.P. (associate producer), Pirooz taped their last show this week and they arrived extra early on Wed. to make sure it went smooth...
I noticed the camera men are starting to get tired and grumpy, good thing we wrap next week...
New to the show this year is the CRAFTERS, they are 2 people hanging out each episode who make projects inspired by the craft topic. Kelsey coordinates casting them and helps them with the projects so they are done to show off in the last segment of each show...
The days are long but Kevin, the supervising producer has us meet in the parking lot each morning for the daily pep talk...
I'll have more behind the scenes details later in part 2.
Show Producer Brian and his A.P. (associate producer), Pirooz taped their last show this week and they arrived extra early on Wed. to make sure it went smooth...
I noticed the camera men are starting to get tired and grumpy, good thing we wrap next week...
New to the show this year is the CRAFTERS, they are 2 people hanging out each episode who make projects inspired by the craft topic. Kelsey coordinates casting them and helps them with the projects so they are done to show off in the last segment of each show...
The days are long but Kevin, the supervising producer has us meet in the parking lot each morning for the daily pep talk...
I'll have more behind the scenes details later in part 2.
Countdown to Halloween 4
I started to decorate the front yard this weekend. Below are a few sneak preview pictures. I've got 12 more skeletons in progress plus a few other surprises. I've improved the bride from last year's foam head on a stick using a real mannequin . Maybe next year I'll give her a real dress.
Uncle Dave the Destructor!
I'm up late and thinking about my 4 year old niece. I can't help laughing thinking what a crazy nut she is... especially remembering what she said the last time I saw her.
She spews out such insane stuff . Honestly, I was wondering if she had brain damage. Then I remembered these photos...
Her 4 year old crazy nonsense is indeed brain damage...I'm a bad Uncle.
She spews out such insane stuff . Honestly, I was wondering if she had brain damage. Then I remembered these photos...
Her 4 year old crazy nonsense is indeed brain damage...I'm a bad Uncle.
The line is drawn using glitter.
Yesterday working on DIY's Craft Lab, I discovered there are two types using glitter...
You feel the need to add glitter to your project. You dab on the glue and pause a moment and think..."which one am I ?...which one ?"
You feel the need to add glitter to your project. You dab on the glue and pause a moment and think..."which one am I ?...which one ?"
Waking up without Coffee.
In 1991, I was at a friend's Saturday afternoon BBQ party. A nieghborhood kid was going door to door with a puppy.
"My parents won't let me keep her" He said. I named her Coffee and 16 years later she had become my parent's dog and a beloved family member.
Yesterday, the family said goodbye to her.
Over the years Coffee was the gentle friend. She was never needy. She always seemed to know when you were busy or when it was a good time to go for a full back scratch. She was first at your side no matter how early you woke up or how late you went to bed. Coffee was a constant presence keeping Mom and Dad safe for 16 years. She did a good job. There are no great heroic dog stories to tell.
She mentored several pets through the years, teaching them all our family quirks. I can't recall her bark. The only sound I can remember her making was a "huurumpf" when lying down as if saying..."I love 'em, but they make me nuts."
Coffee is survived by Max. Coffee taught him well and I'm sure he is not less than 5 feet from Mom or Dad as I write this.
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