2014 Projects - And Other Shiny Things

So, I've given a review of last year - now here's what's on the table for 2014:

• Post-Apoc Halloween Costumes
• Including 3 or 4 props
• RCCC
• Tiki-Kon
• New Halloween House Display
• Orycon 36
• Submitting a story for publication
• Possibly a trip over to the Netherlands (fingers crossed)

I've already got the base of my post-apoc Halloween costume and am working on collecting all the bits I need to pull it together. Igor is starting by pulling together all the bits and pieces so we have things like his mask that needs to be modified and lacrosse padding that we'll use for the base of his armor.

Despite being distracted by playing Arkham Origins (I beat Slade on my second try!), I've managed to start on props. I have one set of rusted bottle caps, but I'm working on making more. A little hammering and a little patience and I'll have all the rusted bottle caps I could ever need!

 

 Hammering metal into shape is also good therapy.

I lucked out and found this great parasol at a second hand store. It was only a couple bucks and has inspired me to make a tattered, weaponized post-apoc parasol weapon!

 Sure it looks all sweet now, but it won't be when I'm done with it.

I also found this great, old distressed bat for a few bucks that I wanted to make into a prop, but Igor pointed out that we probably wouldn't be let into a bar with a real baseball bat with nails sticking out of it. Sadly, he has a point - but it's still an awesome bat so I'll have to find some other use for it, maybe as part of the house decor . . .

Finally, I put the first coat of paint on the Nerf gun and it's well on its way to being the apocalyptic BFG of my dreams. Whoever first thought of spraying a Nerf gun with matte black paint was a genius.

All it needs now is one more coat and some weathering effects.

Things are starting to come together! Now if I can just stay on schedule . . .

Halloween is in the Air

And another fine, productive weekend! This time with pictures.

The biggest accomplishment of the weekend was getting the two largest pieces of our Halloween yard display up: the tree and the boarded-up window. While the tree isn't completely done, the hardest parts are up and the rest will be to easy finish.

Igor pretty much made the entire window dressing himself. He's definitely the top of my list for people I want on my team come the apocalypse. As you can see he's very handy with a drill.

I think it took less than an hour for him to get it all together and for us to put it up.

While he was doing that I took the drapes I'd cut up the night before

(so therapeutic) and tea stained them. I used earl grey and it made the house smell amazing.



Then we put up the boards and (after staining the drapes again with old coffee grounds, since the earl grey didn't make them quite dark enough) I hung the drapes up to dry.


The tree turned out amazing. We used chicken wire as the frame and then just stretched a curtain over that. I actually sewed the curtain onto the wire and then Igor painted the face. All I had to say to Igor was, 'Do you think you can paint it with an evil tree face?' and he knew exactly what I meant. Seriously, top of the list.

All boarded up and ready for the zombie gnome plague.



The tree still needs some branches and leaves added, but we got about 80% of the work done.

Sunday I worked more on the gnomes and various forest creatures.

My mini zombie factory.

I arranged some brambles to make a secure little gnome patch and placed the first two zombie gnomes.


The idea is that the dolls will be kinda hidden until nighttime when we turn on led lights that will show them off in an appropriately creepy way.

These two are my favorite

The white, bleeding eyes were Igor's idea.

And that's it for now! Time to sit back, relax, and enjoy this week's seasonal movie: The Monster Squad.


After that I think I'll move onto something a little more sophisticated