Tick-tock. Tick-tock. Time is running out, Clarice.

Remember my current crop of jack-o-lantern pots will be going shortly. You have about a day left to bid!

Support your starving artist! Click on the jacko picture on the upper right side of this blog to see my labors of love.

Thanks, guys. They really are worth it. I promise!

More Fun With Paint and Other Things

A little update from the overwhelmed Garage of Doom. I took a couple of pics of one of those "note to self" moments.

The base of the cauldron came along pretty well. We had some scrap wood lying around from our raised garden beds, so we used it. Thick, pressure treated wood. Wood meant to be very sturdy.

A month later, I decided to add a fog machine. Problem: the motor was in the way of the hole in the back of the cauldron floor, and the front was blocked by the base. No problem. Get a hole cutter and cut through the base. Through the really thick base.

With typical, almost suicidal optimism, I had Mr. ShellHawk find me the right size hole cutting bit. Too short. Neighbor V brought a longer one over. After about an inch in, it hung up and wouldn't go anymore, flinging the drill around pretty hard. I was lucky not to have been injured. I thought, "Well, there's a woodworker lives across the street. Maybe he can help." He did. He brought over his plug in drill with special side grip and made short work of the hole, but not before commenting that you really didn't need such thick wood.

Wish I'd thought of that.

On a brighter front, I got this little garden statue from Big Lots for half off.
Hate the paint job. You really can't see any details, and the paint they chose really washes her out. Not to worry!Black spray paint to the rescue!Then a nice dry brush of gray paint over the top.I think she looks much better! I can't wait to have her in the cemetery!

Monster Guts Nerve Center

Some of you are ready for this. You've haunted awhile, and you need to take the next step.

You need to make it "one louder."

Enter Monster Guts Nerve Center. Far better than the sledge-o-matic, this here new-fangled thing from Monster Guts is a pretty sexy prop controller. But don't ask me how it works, 'cause the prop controller is a new concept to me.

Ask the experts. When you can't get ahold of them, ask Steve-O and Geoff from the Garage of Evil. Just remember, these guys are somewhat colorful in their language. (Read: don't show this to your kids or play at work.)

I have gotta get me one of those things!

My Stirring Witch, or Pimp Your Cauldron

A few videos on my progress on the stirring witch project.








I am a little bummed that my power supply for the wiper motor (2nd one) had died, too. I have to call over to Monster Guts and find out what I'm doing wrong! The chances of two bad power supplies in a row are pretty slim, so it must be me.

We also determined that Stewie needs to get strapped to gavanized pipe, which we already have sticking out of his concrete-filled tub. I don't mind mache repairs, but re-doing his stand every year doesn't appeal to me!

News from the Garage of Doom

Yesterday was a pretty productive day in the Garage of Doom. Since my hubby was helping neighbor V's hubby with replacing a bathroom floor (cutting an laying tile-fun!), neighbor V came over to help me in the Garage. We got a plaster cast of her hands done, which I needed for my stirring witch. Since we used vaseline for the release, her hands were silky soft when we got done. She said she felt like she was having a spa treatment! (Plus, of course, she had an hour of legitimately not being able to do anything for the kids, and actually was forced to sit down and relax for awhile...) I love my neighbor, I gotta say.

She had to take a quick break to go see what the boys were up to, so I put the first layer of paint on the new angel garden statue I got at Big Lots. Their garden statuary is on sale for half price right now, so you should think about heading over if you need more for your cemetery.

From there, we moved on to the problem of repairing Stewie. For those of you who don't know who Stewie is, he's the scarecrow I made last year who is serving as the header for my blog. Stewie was in great shape last year, until the torrential rain we had on Halloween soaked his already forward-heavy head and bent his schedule 40 pvc right at a point where we had drilled holes to run zip ties through for chicken wire support. Several ideas were tossed back and forth after I made a slit up the back of his main support pipe. Re-bar up the middle of the pipe? Couldn't do it, because of all the other zip ties in the pipe. (Best Neighbor V quote of the day: "Stewie, you are such a man." Couldn't stop laughing...) Re-bar through the pvc in his shouolders? Same problem. After much thinking and a couple of Blue Moon wheat beers, we determined tht we'd have to build an additional set of supports along the lines of what the symbol for pi looks like, strap him to that, and set him back in his stand. His trenchcoat will cover it up, and no one will be the wiser. Bummer about the re-bar, though. It was a good thought.

We moved on to the start of the Beloved tombstone. Measured and the basic body of the tombstone before we had to stop for the night and start dinner. I used the cheap white 1 1/2" insulating foam you can pick up at Home Depot here in California, and I'll glue the body together today and then add the more expensive pink foam to the front of the tombstone. It's hard to find the pink foam here, as 99% of stores don't carry it because it's considered a cold-weather product and it just doesn't get that cold here. I had to drive for 2 1/2 hours one way to pick the stuff up, but I know it'll be worth it.

As an aside, I have to look into my home office every time I head out to the Garage of Doom. It sits as an accusation; I've been working on it off and on (mostly off) for over a year and still haven't finished it. Maybe I'll get to it. *sigh*

It's mimosa Sunday today. We feel it's important to get your vitamin C, and champagne is a great delivery system. Our extended family is coming over from across the street to share in this healthy tradition.


Wow! Helpful AND health-concious. What great neighbors!

Death at the Vatican

Here are a couple of pics for you from our trip to Rome a few years ago. It occurred to me that there was a great skeleton over the old exit door in the Vatican, placed there to remind parishioners that their time would come and to remember the Church and the state of their souls. I thought they would make great reference photos.

Photos are courtesy of Mr. ShellHawk. Good shots, hon!

Jackos for Sale

Hi, All! My hanging pumpkins are up on eBay, now. I'm adding more as we speak!

Small Sewer, Isn't It?

It's really interesting how things work. I recently took a page from the Frog Queen's book and gave it a slight twist... I've decide to raise funds for the local high school art department. Due to budget cuts, they're suffering, too. I thought, "Why not pass the hat and see what comes out? Haunters can raise money, too. Look at the Garage of Evil's 'Save the Boobies' campaign!" And they weren't talking about birds, either.

Last week, I called the high school and left a message for the vice principal, who apparently then passed it on to the art department. A lovely lady called back today and talked to me about it. There were a couple of kids in the classroom, too. Guess whose kids they were? Spider Rider's! How freaking cool is that?! A neighbor, and I didn't even know it! Neat-O! To the third degree!

Anyhow, the teacher who contacted me was really floored by the idea that I'd arrange this, and kept telling me how generous I was, etc. Now, honestly, I didn't make the call to be a hero, but it really made me feel good that I got a call back, and that I really can help, even a little bit. I'm under no illusions that I can solve their budget problems, but if I can help to raise awareness and take a little of the edge off, I'm really happy.

And the first thing she did was ask if I needed help. Wow! How great, huh? Of course, I'll accept help, and if it works out o.k., timewise, I might be able to add a couple more effects to the haunt and flesh out my story more.

The story of... Dah dah DAAAAAAHHH! The Witch of Rose Hill! Ta-da! (Insert big fanfare here.)

Lots of roses in the front yard, now, and they'll be far more established next year. I'm creating a back story for the Witch, and it's starting to shape everything beautifully. I think it actually works! What's really a kick is that my honey and I were talking about the giant dead patch of grass in the front yard, how it makes us both nuts, and what to do about it. He suggested ripping out the dead sod and putting in some plants, and I mentioned, gently, that as long as it doesn't disturb the graveyard... Well. I suppose it would be alright. He looked stricken and immediately suggested just replacing all the sod out front next Spring. Sounded good to me. (Do I have the world's greatest husband, or what?)

Back to our art teacher. She says she's a Halloween enthusiast, too, and wants to learn. So I may actually have help on my "Beloved" tombstone, which is starting to tie in with my story in a big way. Thank goodness! That task was beginning to look daunting this late in the Season. An extra pair or two of competent hands will be most welcome. Hopefully, we won't have the Frog Queen's "Banana" Syndrome! :o) Honestly, I'm sure I won't. This lady sounds super-competent and in the right frame of mind. I'm downright honored to have her along on this crazy ride!

Also, note To Self: Start building in November this year! Dang it!

...And the Winners Are

The drawing has been done! The winners of the jacko pots are:

#1 Raculfright_13
#2 The Captain

Hooray for you both! Raculfright, please let me know your choice and your mailing address offline to shellhawksnest@yahoo.com. Captain, please send me your address so I can mail the new denizen of your home to you!

Congratulations, guys, and thanks to everyone for participating. More giveaways are in the offing, so stay tuned!

Happy Birthday, Cthulu!

Yes, today is H.P. Lovecraft's birthday. This is one of the very few authors who wrote stories so frightening that I slept with the lights on. He died at age 46, probably from performing the odd rite that went horribly wrong. Those multi-tentacled entities are not noted for their sense of fun and jolly sense of humor.