Witchlette video!

Click the picture to view video of Witchlette in action

Witchlette Completed

Witchlette is now finished! Her costume features authentic vintage fabrics, buttons, and jewery ( as well as a single raccoon tooth) Four 1950's era bottles provide a visual accent to the base of the cauldron. I will post video as soon as I can work thru an error with Blogger. Completed size is 19 inches tall...the perfect size for a one of a kind eye-catching Halloween Display.

Indy Haunt Fest June 25 and 26

Next weekend is the 2nd annual Indy Hauntfest In Indianapolis, Indiana! I will be attending as a vendor with all my creepy Shadow Farm creations as well as a few essential haunter items I have put together specifically for the event. I will also be hosting a make n take, where participants will get to make the motorized mechanism for an Animated Tombstone headpopper ...the perfect prop to add a bit of creepy motion to your Halloween yard display and a fantastic intro to Halloween animation.
Other make-n-take projects will include Lighted Witch Jars, tombstone carving, and an open forum show and tell. Demos, speakers and events top off this fun weekend.
Mark your calendars for next Saturday and Sunday and come have a great spooky time with other haunters!

Witchlette : testing the costume

This is the first test fitting of the fabrics I have chosen for the Witchlette. Most are vintage fabrics that I have collected from various sources throughout the years. I fell that this is a good mix of colors and textures to give the old hag a real-world appearance. At this stage I like to let everything sink in for a few days, observe her in different lighting and take note of any changes or additions that need to take place before attaching her wardrobe permanently.
For instance, as much as I would like to press onward, the painting on the cauldron needs to be finished before any fabrics are applied. The plastic hands stand out as a beacon of laziness at this point, prompting me to push my comfort zone a bit to make them blend in with the rest of the piece. The forearms need some work as well since the fresh clean burlap glows like a beacon. Accessories, knickknacks and other bits and bobs will be the final touch to give her an authentic presence.
Overall I am pleased with the way this is turning out.

Witchlette: Dressing begins

Ok, not really much to look at here other than I have added plastic bottle over top of the mech to keep everything nice and secure inside. I then covered the body in burlap that has been soaked in Sculpt or Coat. The resulting body is lightweight and fairly stiff. I have also mounted the cauldron to the top of the books and the motor inside the cauldron. At this point I gave the the dual motors a 24 hour test run...they worked flawlessly with absolutely no heat build up.
I decided to go with a dual voltage desktop power supply with 5vDC going to the head motor and 12vDC going to the cauldron motor. This keeps the two movements out of sync with each other adding to a lifelike illusion.

I have a feeling the outfit on this nasty little gal is going to be a whole bunch of fun. I will be staying away from traditional black cloak and hat and stay in earthy fabrics with alot of texture. I am not looking forward to making a pair of small hands though, and might wuss out and use a pair of plastic skeleton hands.

Witchlette progress: Arms

Witchlette's arms have been installed and tested. I added a bracket to the main front rod to support the shoulders, providing a secure foundation for the jointed arms. Trial and error with the arm lengths resulted in a smooth natural movement. As stated before, I am designing this mech to be as maintenance free as possible so that the eventual owner can enjoy her for years to come.
A loose fitting at the wrists will give just enough play at the natural maple stirring stick to give the entire arm assembly a smooth, natural stirring motion.

Witchlette continued: The mech

The more I thought about it, the more I wanted to add some head movement to the Witchlette. I have made head turning mechs before, but always on a larger scale where the overall size wasn't an issue. This project has several design demands that I have not encountered before.

• The mech must be small enough to fit inside the body.
• The mech must be reliable. In the past, I have made props for myself, and troubleshooting always seems to be par for the course. This mech must work flawlessly and provide trouble free operation.

This is my first successful configuration that will meet the necessary requirements. After the pictures were taken, I have tweaked a few dimensions to make the mechanism even more compact than pictured. The design will allow me to easily adjust the overall height and neck-to-torso dimensions, but for now proof of concept has been achieved.

Witchlette

Here's the start of my next animated, motorized figure. This one is already taking on a life of her own and developing a creepy personality. Like Luther, she will be a motorized prop stirring a small cauldron. I may try to coax a little more movement into her, but haven't quite figured out how to hide the mechanism I have been thinking about in such a small space. I also need to make sure to leave access to any inner workings for potential troubleshooting and maintenance. It is also possible that the stirring motion will be enough. Decisions, decisions....

Cauldron Stirring Guy completed

It has been a productive day here at the Farm. My first Cauldron Stirring prop of the year is now complete. At the suggestion of a good friend, I added a stiff collar which led to the addition of a shirt and tie. Very dapper, don't you think? According to Mrs. Dave the Dead, his name is Luther. ( I'm not sold on the name, but Luther hasn't suggested any other options) Video of Luther in action can be seen here.

Another project ticked off my list can be seen in the background...a set of small shelves that I will use to display my wares at upcoming shows. The shelves are made from reclaimed cedar fence planks, and make a perfect backdrop for the creepy little characters that inhabit The Shadow Farm.

Next on the agenda are more small ghouls, some lanterns that I am converting to use LED tealight candles, and at least two more Cauldron Stirring props.

Stirring Cauldon Sculpt In progress

This guy is the start of a series of Cauldron Stirring figures I have planned for this year. I have some finish work yet to do, but have proven that he is mechanically sound by running him off and on for hours at a time over the last week or so. The sculpt is mostly paper mache with paperclay as a topcoat to give the final texture. The figure has a small electric motor mounted inside the cauldron that revolves slowly, his jointed arms following the stirring stick. Overall size is approx 21 inches. Finishing touches will include some crazy hair, a large stiff collar, and some paint and texturing on the cauldron. When completed, this figure will be available to purchase on Etsy or in person at Great Lakes Fright Fest.

Skeleton Stirring a Cauldron

It is said that imitation is the sincerest form of flattery. Well, Devil's Chariot from Hauntforum must be one of the most flattered propbuilders out there this year. Last year, he took a new angle on the 'witch stirring a cauldron' prop and came up with his excellent "Cauldron Creep"
When asked to make a piece to donate to my son's High School Robotic's team for their silent auction, I struggled with what to make. It had to be ultra cool, animated, but small enough to appeal to the casual haunting enthusiast. I decided to take a shot at making this prop, but in a much smaller scale. My version is powered by the turntable motor from a microwave, and stands 12 inches tall to the top of the natural maple stirring pole.

I have spotted one major design flaw in this piece....I WANT IT FOR MY OWN! Oh well, the kids need the support, so this one goes off to charity. If anyone is interested in placing a bid on this prop, the auction will be held at Southport High School, Indianapolis Indiana on October 17th.

Ephram Vessell

He is the groundskeep of the small church cemetery situated just up the road from the Shadow Farm. Ancient, feeble, mute, and mostly blind, he was given the job and a small shack out back to call his home. He is often seen taking handouts of a most unusual variety from the local crazy 'bottle lady'...what he does with these strange objects remains a mystery.

the Bottle Lady

Most of the townsfolk thought of her as just the crazy old bottle lady. She would show up in town a couple of times a month, and wander around in the shadows, occasionally stopping strangers on the street and mumbling incoherent phrases. To those that believed in majik, she was sought out as a very accomplished conjuress. It was said that she learned her trade from the indians, but it was more likely that the indians learned from her. She would wander into town on the evening of the new moon, bottles, sticks, and bones tied together and slung over her shoulders. Those who knew what she could do would secretly meet her and ask her for a potion capable of fulfilling whatever wish they desired. "All I ask is a token in return'," she would cackle, and instruct the person on how to obtain a seemingly ordinary item. "In two days time, bring to me a stone from the bottom of a stagnant pool. It must be collected by moonlight and with nobody as witness. Do exactly as I say and you will have your wish by the next full moon." Her token requests were always strange, but easily obtained...the skull of a raccoon, a tortoise shell, the foot of a black rooster, nettle roots pulled out in a thunderstorm. It was assumed that these items were used to make the potions, but in fact they were used by a group of mystics to foretell the future. All the tokens were worthless, unless collected by an unknowing soul.