October 31, 2009

Sir Not-appearing-in-this-Halloween





NARRATOR: A year passed. Winter changed into Spring. Spring changed into Summer. Summer changed back into Winter. And Winter gave Spring and Summer a miss and went straight into Autumn. Until one day...

Winter showed up two days before Halloween with 6 inches of wet snow. Very frustrating after all the effort over the past few weeks. A lot of it has melted but that just means mud and I can't have the kids traipsing through that.

Well, if nothing else I have made a great start on my cemetery entrance pillars and arch for next year. "You just wait Charlie Brown. Next year I am going to find a pumpkin patch that's REAL sincere and wait for the Great Pumpkin!"

Next up I'll be starting back up on the room and the track lighting in particular...

October 11, 2009

Don't eat PINK snow either...







Old man winter has come early to Potter--that sumbitch. Nothing gets you in the holiday spirit like eight inches of snow. Problem is wrong holiday! We here at Kisler Manor will endeavor to persevere however...

You will start to get the big idea where I'm headed now with these images. I have routed out some corners and various odd patches here and there on the pillars to a depth of about a quarter inch which creates the illusion of layers in the foam to represent the stucco and the bricks. It also creates a blizzard of pink dust particles even worse than the drywalling mud was earlier with the room. These things have a wicked static cling and they won't just brush off and they track everywhere. Marsha is all smiles about that I can tell you.

Since its a deep freeze in the garage I moved into the living room (more wedded bliss, uhuh) and began laying out the brick pattern in the carved out sections using some brick sized templates and lots of rulers. Next I will carve away the "mortar" areas between the bricks just a little bit for a third layer. This should take the better part of the coming week.

I finished up the half-round trim moldings too. I created a sanding form from a piece of thick cardboard tube and some rough sandpaper glued to the inside. I was able to give them all more or less the same dimensions this way. They'll get glued on later.

By the way these columns are NOT my original idea but a Mr. Juggernaut's that I came upon surfing here: http://usersites.horrorfind.com/home/halloween/juggernaut/projects.html . I have made some changes more to to my liking however.

Upcoming steps will include painting of course and a arch over the top proclaiming
"CIMETIERE TORTUGA" to set the theme of a haunted pirate graveyard.

Right now Santa and some Christmas trees seem more appropriate.