Little brown bat

Pix of a bat we found in my son's school. After some observation, it was turned loose in our backyard to help thin out the mosquito population.

Rusty Lanterns

What haunt couldn't use a rusted out, flickering lantern to add to the creepy atmosphere? These lanterns are painted and textured to appear very old and rusty. The original 'pristine' lantern shown on the box below comes with a very shiny black finish and a stark white LED light. I have removed the stock LEDs and replaced them with a good quality flickering tealight candle. A great feature of the lantern is that it has a nice dimmer switch and operates off 2 AA batteries. By wiring the tealight directly to the switch, I can take advantage of variable electrical inputs which exaggerate the flickering effect from full flicker to a dim sputtering that looks like the lantern is about to go out.

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.