I make silly stuff at work sometimes.
More Reindeer Sketches
And this one I think, one day, I've got to make a life sized prop for my own Christmas house decorating.
DIY Google Glasses
Because I try to remain on the cutting edge of technology, I made my own pair of Google Glasses this week.
It's still in the prototype phase.
50 Years Ago
50 years ago yesterday, Walter Cronkite reported one of the most tragic events in our nation's history.
My mom was there, working in the CBS newsroom. She was even caught on camera in the background amid the chaos that afternoon checking the news wires for information.
A Well Organized Prop Department
Light saber, check. Dust broom, check. Fencing sword, check. Sledge hammer, check. Dust pan, check. Audio cable, check. Electric cord, check.
New Beginning
Here's the first page of a brand new sketchbook. My 52nd.
I get a fresh start feeling whenever I break the spine on a new one. They're visual journals for me, so each one represents a chunk of my life.
The last one took a almost a year to fill up. Those months, despite many great and wonderful moments that did happen, generally, have not been ones I'll look back on with happy memories.
Hoping this new sketchbook inspires putting the past behind and a new beginning.
The 24th Hour of Halloween - The Creepy Walk
Earlier today, I shared what niece Devin's costume was tonight, a creepy undead doll.
For my final Halloween eve post, I share with you her creepy undead doll walk.
Have I mentioned how much I love this kid? And how much she makes me laugh?
Hope all had a great day and night.
For my final Halloween eve post, I share with you her creepy undead doll walk.
Have I mentioned how much I love this kid? And how much she makes me laugh?
Hope all had a great day and night.
The 22nd Hour of Halloween - Home and Family Part 2
The entire prop crew worked late into the night the other day to dress the set with me for Home and Family's big Halloween show.
Paul discovered tying a noose is easy, but securing the victim was hard.
Cory was a master window silhouette carver...
Tara ran around insisting we include baby dolls in the creepy decor. I reminded her this was for the Hallmark channel and that might be a bit too much. She said "Just parts of babies then?"
I kid, that never happened. I missed getting a picture of her working hard that night, the above is the only one I have from a whole other show.
And speaking of not having a picture of, fellow Halloween haunter, Derek Young, of Van Oaks Cemetery and Better Haunts and Gardens, joined us that night to help. Derek was more than willing to cut the baby dolls up for Tara. Awkward.
Paul discovered tying a noose is easy, but securing the victim was hard.
Cory was a master window silhouette carver...
But a lazy pumpkin carver. Kids these days, he used a Dremel tool. Back in my day, we only had blunt and broken popsicle sticks to carve with, and happy to have them.
Tara ran around insisting we include baby dolls in the creepy decor. I reminded her this was for the Hallmark channel and that might be a bit too much. She said "Just parts of babies then?"
I kid, that never happened. I missed getting a picture of her working hard that night, the above is the only one I have from a whole other show.
And speaking of not having a picture of, fellow Halloween haunter, Derek Young, of Van Oaks Cemetery and Better Haunts and Gardens, joined us that night to help. Derek was more than willing to cut the baby dolls up for Tara. Awkward.
The 21st Hour of Halloween- Where Monsters Walked
Universal Studios' Court of Miracles set where Chaney and Lugosi once walked, as it looked tonight, just as I was leaving work.
The 20th Hour of Halloween- A Better Jason Mask
Making a cheap Jason hockey mask better. To the left, the before. To the right, the after.
Improving it was easy. First, being soft foam, I shaped into a more character accurate curve by heating with an ordinary hair dryer. Then it was just aging. I cut some chips and dents into the edges for a more well worn appearance and gave it a wash of watered down dark brown acrylic paint. Next I actually rubbed muddy dirt on it here and there. Once dry I sealed it with a very light coat of matte finish clear spray. Finally, a couple of random splatters of stage blood and done. Took a 1/2 hour to do. 45 minutes if you count drying time.
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| Photo by Jeremy Lee |
The 16th Hour of Halloween: Home and Family Part 1
One upside to not being able to have my own haunt this year is using my horde of props to decorate the Home and Family set at work.
We have a signpost outside the set for the tour trams that go by. I thought a fun place to add our new crew member Mr. Myers.
The 15th Hour of Halloween: Creepy Doll
A sneak preview of niece Devin's costume this year - a creepy, undead doll.
Her idea, I love this kid.
Happy Halloween!
A happy Halloween to all.
My hopes to blog more this October have been thwarted, but I'm going to make up for it overloading today with posts counting down the hours left during the best holiday of the year.
First, a sad announcement, my own yard haunt and decorating is on hiatus this year. I've had to cancel my big night of fun for 2013.
My life has changed over the past several months. I'm no longer living in the home I did. The reason why is a long sad personal story that I don't want to dwell on today.
Needless to say, I'm going to be a bit down tonight not being what I hoped it would, but I'm determined to enjoy it all the same and look forward to next year.
19 Days 'til Halloween - Spooky Sign Post DIY
A few weeks back, I sketched this concept of a spooky sign post for my own Halloween yard.
The complete "How-To" and video from the show explaining how the signs where made can be found over on the Hallmark Channel show site here.
I haven't found the time to create it until earlier this week. Home and Family producers needed a DIY project idea at the last minute for the next day's show. So I suggested the sign post and sure enough, it got made. 2 drums of midnight oil were burned getting it done, but working into the wee hours on a project like this is never painful. The completed version was a bit simpler than the original concept, but still captured the intended spirit of the sketch.
The complete "How-To" and video from the show explaining how the signs where made can be found over on the Hallmark Channel show site here.
My Halloween Countdown Begins - Universal Creepiness
I'm back from the dead blogging world and ashamed. It's my favorite time of year and only now starting my Countdown to Halloween posts!
I'll be honest, the day job is to blame. After a 12 hour workday, everyday, eating dinner and passing out overrides my urge to blog. But I'm determined to not let these wonderous October days slip past without celebration anymore.
With work in mind, I thought I'd start my countdown with a small portfolio of creepy images I took over the past year around the Universal Studios lot, where I'm one lucky Halloween enthusiast and able to wander.
Oh and there is this place there too...
I'll be honest, the day job is to blame. After a 12 hour workday, everyday, eating dinner and passing out overrides my urge to blog. But I'm determined to not let these wonderous October days slip past without celebration anymore.
With work in mind, I thought I'd start my countdown with a small portfolio of creepy images I took over the past year around the Universal Studios lot, where I'm one lucky Halloween enthusiast and able to wander.
Oh and there is this place there too...
Witchcrafty Window Silhouette Printables
Witches are the latest additions to the Halloween window silhouette series. And what would a witch be without including her cauldron and black cat too.
As with the previously posted Zombie and Maniac silhouettes, if you like 'em, feel free to steal and use in your own decorating (but don't use for profit). Click on images to enlarge.
As with the previously posted Zombie and Maniac silhouettes, if you like 'em, feel free to steal and use in your own decorating (but don't use for profit). Click on images to enlarge.
Maniacal Window Silhouette Printables
Here's a small gathering of maniacal miscreants to decorate your windows this Halloween season. As with the previously posted zombie silhouettes, feel free to use (but not for profit). Click on images to enlarge.
Still more to come soon, including, by request, witches and spiders!
63 Days 'Til Halloween: Zombie Window Silhouette Printables
I've been doodling up my own Halloween themed window silhouettes for possible use in my haunt this year, and thought I'd share 'em if you'd like to use in your own decorating. Feel free to swipe the images below (as long as NOT for profit) The ones above are just to give an idea how they might look in windows.
I'm having a lot of fun drawing these, so if this Zombie horde below doesn't appeal to you, stay tuned, many more creeps and creature silhouettes in the works.
You can cut these out of black foamcore, poster board, or construction paper (anything opaque really). Then simply tape into your windows. There are a few ways to scale the images to fit your window once you know how big you want 'em. No one way is best, whatever is easier for you. If you have a better way, DO IT (and share as a comment).
- If you have the funds, take the images to Kinkos (or similar copy center), have enlarged and printed as a poster (if in your budget, they can also mount onto foam board for you).
- If you have a projector (or can borrow one), project the images onto a board and trace. In that vein, project the image onto fabric or a shower curtain, then paint on and hang in window.
- The cheapest route, scale the image on your computer, print in sections and use as a template (BTW most copy centers can tile/section image for you as well ).
-The No-Money route is an old art class 101 copying trick. Using a ruler draw a grid over the image in small equally sized squares (like 1/2" by 1/2"). Then draw a larger, scaled up, grid on the board. Freehand copy only what you see in each smaller square into each larger square. It works. Breaking down the image into simpler shapes makes freehand copying more accurate.
Here's the first batch. Click on images to enlarge.
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