# Seven Oaks Cemetery - A work in progress



## stoic_clown (Nov 11, 2011)

Howdy all. Haven't posted in a couple years. My yard haunting has been on a slight hiatus for a while. Went out and got married in October 2012, took 2013 off (cuz I had gotten so fed up with just how rude and obnoxious the kids in my had neighborhood had become... why reward them), then we moved to a new city last year in September, so I didn't have time to come up with anything new for the new home (so I just put out the old stuff). But now it's 2015, and I'm finally getting back into the swing of things.

Now that I have a new yard, I figured it's time to start a new haunt, which I am christening "Seven Oaks Cemetery". It's a much larger front yard than I had at the old place, which means alot more potential. But the downside... it also means that my previous collection of gravestones is woefully inadequate. With all the extra square footage, my cemetery just feels paltry. So the first order of business is to expand the residency of my "bury patch".

So... some new stones for a new yard. Just thought I'd share the progress so far:

The overarching theme of my new haunt revolves around an old forgotten graveyard that was built on the site of an execution where 7 unfortunate villagers were hung for the crime of witchcraft. So a corner of the yard will have the simple rough-hewn grave markers that mark the place were the witches were buried...










Adding to the menagerie, here's 3 more random stones to give the cemetery a little more "character"...










And finally, a trio of dudes who just came along for the ride... 










That's it so far. Along with these new stones and all of my previous stones, I also plan to work on a new entry gate and sign, and add a few more characters to lurk in the shadows. That'll probably all I have time for this year. Fortunately, the new yard gives me room for a lot more expansion over the coming years.

Thanks for letting me share. Spook on!


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## bobzilla (Nov 13, 2008)

Really nice work! :jol:


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## Kcapazzi (Sep 24, 2015)

Very nice work!


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## jdubbya (Nov 6, 2005)

These are fantastic! Nice variety of shapes. Looking forward to seeing more of your plan!


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## Bone Dancer (Oct 7, 2005)

Excellent work, looking forward to seeing your grave yard .


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## RoxyBlue (Oct 6, 2008)

Those are beautiful stones!


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## Hairazor (Mar 13, 2012)

The "bury patch", love it!


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## CreeepyCathy (Mar 28, 2009)

beautiful stones!!!


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## Pumpkin5 (Aug 8, 2010)

:jol:Yay! Can't wait to see what you come up with, those tombstones are wonderful.


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## Sawtooth Jack (Apr 9, 2011)

Just fantastic! Love the solidity and mass each of these feels like they have and they're not even painted yet.


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## The Halloween Lady (Aug 18, 2010)

Holy freeholi these are beautiful!!!!


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## stoic_clown (Nov 11, 2011)

Thanks everyone for all the kind words and encouragement. Got the columns for my cemetery entrance 80% constructed this weekend, so well underway there. With any luck, I'll have those and some fencing to go along with them finished and a good part of my painting done this coming weekend. I'll share some pics of the columns after I get a little further along with them. Thanks again!


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## stoic_clown (Nov 11, 2011)

Well, got the entrance columns for my graveyard finished today. All they need now is a good paintjob. How do they look?


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## tjc67 (Jul 28, 2013)

They look great and look forward to seeing them once they are all decked out.


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## Howlinmadjack (Jul 20, 2009)

Awesome work all around!! From the stones to the columns!! You'll have that yard rocking in no time!!!


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## stoic_clown (Nov 11, 2011)

And I'm finally finished with the columns. You can see a couple sections of my fence standing against the wall was well.










About halfway through with painting the new tombstones. So close to being finished with my projects for this year. Hopefully done by the end of this weekend.


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## stoic_clown (Nov 11, 2011)

All hail Samhain! Got all my new tombstones done, painted, and ready for prime time. And with 2 weeks to spare. Such a load off my shoulders.

The witches' graveyard markers...










The hitchhiking trio, with a extra companion along for the ride...










A couple more old fellows join the graveyard shift crew...










And some golden oldies. These were actually the first stones I ever made, about 11 or 12 years ago. Refreshed and ready to contribute to the scenery...










If the weather forecast holds, I should have the graveyard go up this coming weekend. Rain rain stay away...


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## RoxyBlue (Oct 6, 2008)

Beautiful! And I totally feel like a slacker since all I got done this year was ONE tombstone:jol:


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## shmork (Jul 30, 2015)

Well done! That is an impressive amount of work.


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## stoic_clown (Nov 11, 2011)

And finally, the paint's still wet, but here's a new sign to christen the new graveyard.


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## RoxyBlue (Oct 6, 2008)

Wow! Gorgeous sign!


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## Hairazor (Mar 13, 2012)

Your work is above and beyond great!


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## tjc67 (Jul 28, 2013)

The tombstones look great and that sign is impressive. excellent job so far


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## stoic_clown (Nov 11, 2011)

I really appreciate all the very generous comments and compliments I have received. After getting so much joy and inspiration seeing everybody else's work and creations, I'm just happy to be back in the workshop so that I can have some new stuff to share with the community as well.

Thanks!


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## deadSusan (Jun 26, 2013)

Wow, it's all really wonderful! I love the variety of tombstones.


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## stoic_clown (Nov 11, 2011)

Thanks deadSusan. You know what they say, "Variety is the spice of death." :zombie:


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## Hsnopi (Oct 26, 2012)

what do you make the stones out of?


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## jasonsbeer (Nov 12, 2014)

Beautiful sign and stones. Good work and thanks for sharing!

I'm also curious as to the lights on your columns. Can you share where you got those?


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## stoic_clown (Nov 11, 2011)

Hsnopi said:


> what do you make the stones out of?


Hi Hsnopi - Nothing surprising or innovative with the tombstone material, I'm afraid. I use what most everybody else here uses... insulation foam board. I build them out of a combination of mostly 2" thick and 1/2" thick sheets of foam board that I get from my local Home Depot (4' x 8' sheets). I typically assemble them by starting with a 2" base form then add to the base by gluing on layers of 1/2" and 2" foam pieces. I close off the seams between the pieces with Elmer's wood putty (I prefer Elmer's because their putty is non-corrosive and doesn't melt and eat the foam like some other brands do.) I then use a wood burner and soldering iron to do the lettering, cracks, and texturing. So all in all, my approach to tombstones is pretty typical, I guess.


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## stoic_clown (Nov 11, 2011)

jasonsbeer said:


> Beautiful sign and stones. Good work and thanks for sharing!
> 
> I'm also curious as to the lights on your columns. Can you share where you got those?


Hi jasonsbeer - Actually, those column lanterns are a cobbled-together concoction of my own. They started out as decorative candle lanterns that I picked up years ago (I can't remember where). They were patio lanterns (i.e. for accenting patio furniture) designed to have small candles placed inside them. They've been sitting in my garage gathering dust for a while, so I finally found a way to put them to use. Basically, I cut a hole in the bottoms and mounted them on top of cheap plastic ceiling-mountable lamp holders so that I could put standard light bulbs in them (I used plastic LED bulbs). I elevated the lanterns on the lamp holder bases a pit with some pieces of PVC pipe. I then painted the inside surfaces of the glass panels of the lanterns with amber-colored glass paint from the craft store (I also used the same glass paint to paint the outside of the LED bulbs to reinforce the amber light from the lanterns).



















And there you go... cheap and easy gate lanterns. I only wish they were a bit bigger, as I think they're kinda small compared to the size and girth of the columns. But they'll certainly do in a pinch.


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## Lizzyborden (Sep 7, 2012)

I love the uniformity of the witches tombstones and was wondering if you have a "special" section of the cemetery for them or if they intermingle with the others? All the tombstones are awesome BTW, as are the columns. The sign is amazing--I love the ropes hanging from the trees.


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## stoic_clown (Nov 11, 2011)

Lizzyborden said:


> I love the uniformity of the witches tombstones and was wondering if you have a "special" section of the cemetery for them or if they intermingle with the others? All the tombstones are awesome BTW, as are the columns. The sign is amazing--I love the ropes hanging from the trees.


Thanks Lizzyborden - Yes, the witches' stones are going to have their own little section in the graveyard. Actually, they are the central aspect of my yard haunt. My haunt's backstory, which explains the origin of the name "Seven Oaks Cemetery", revolves around them... _In the pre-colonial days of Georgia, a local village experienced its own witch craze, similar to the one in Salem. Seven from the village were accused, convicted, and sentenced to death for the crime of witchcraft. On the morning of their execution, they were taken out to a secluded place in the woods, sufficiently removed from the village borders. The rest of the villagers selected 7 stout oak trees, threw nooses over their branches, then summarily hung the accused witches. The villagers returned at dusk, cut the witches down, and unceremoniously buried them right there in the woods on the very site of their execution, marking their graves with 7 simple stones. As the years passed, people in the surrounding area would continue to return to the site to bury more of their dead... murderers, heretics, the wicked, and those of their kin they were ashamed of; those that were deemed unworthy to be buried in the hallowed ground of the village churchyards. Eventually, enough were buried there that it became a full blown graveyard in its own right, and was later dubbed Seven Oaks Cemetery._


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## Hsnopi (Oct 26, 2012)

stoic_clown said:


> Hi Hsnopi - Nothing surprising or innovative with the tombstone material, I'm afraid. I use what most everybody else here uses... insulation foam board. I build them out of a combination of mostly 2" thick and 1/2" thick sheets of foam board that I get from my local Home Depot (4' x 8' sheets). I typically assemble them by starting with a 2" base form then add to the base by gluing on layers of 1/2" and 2" foam pieces. I close off the seams between the pieces with Elmer's wood putty (I prefer Elmer's because their putty is non-corrosive and doesn't melt and eat the foam like some other brands do.) I then use a wood burner and soldering iron to do the lettering, cracks, and texturing. So all in all, my approach to tombstones is pretty typical, I guess.


well thanks Do they fly away in the wind? We get some windy nights here (Maryland).


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## stoic_clown (Nov 11, 2011)

Hsnopi - Yes, they can blow away. That's always a concern. Afterall, they are just flat, very lightweight hunks of styrofoam. I typically keep them in place by sliding them over a pair of stakes in the ground, which helps them stay upright and secure through most weather. Although I have taken them down a couple of times in years past when we have had extra windy weather, just in case. Haven't lost one yet (knock on coffin wood).


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## stoic_clown (Nov 11, 2011)

Well, thanks to the fortuitously gorgeous weather, I spent the day putting out the decorations in the yard today. Got some more tweaking to do here and there, but for the most part the graveyard is up and lit.



















I'll take more photos and put them up in the "Photo and Video" section once I get the last bits and touches taken care of.


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## Richie4540 (Jul 23, 2015)

wow, looks great,


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## stoic_clown (Nov 11, 2011)

Well, the inaugural run of the Seven Oaks Cemetery yard haunt went off with nary a hitch. Thankfully the rain stayed away until after the ToTs were done for the night. All in all, it was well received by the kids and parents alike, and the parents were very thankful for the effort. I would have liked a bigger turnout, but I guess I just have to keep at it until I establish myself as a "must visit" home in the area. Still, a good time was had by all.

Just figured I'd share some photos of the finished product. Hope you enjoy.



















My "witches' graveyard", the historical focal point of my haunt's backstory...









And this was Hecuba, the burning witch on her pyre (a "screaming banshee" prop from Spirit that served the purpose quite well)...


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## stoic_clown (Nov 11, 2011)

"Going our way?"


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## stoic_clown (Nov 11, 2011)

I'm a big supporter of local small businesses. The local "Head Shop" had a kiosk on site for anyone interested...


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## stoic_clown (Nov 11, 2011)

My usher pointed survivors the way to the exit...


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## stoic_clown (Nov 11, 2011)

And of course, Yours Truly was on hand to play host...










Of course, I just lose my head over the holidays...










Thanks for stopping by.


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## RoxyBlue (Oct 6, 2008)

What a fabulous set up! The wooded setting really enhanced the look of the haunt.

Love the little skellie looking all dapper wearing his bowler while walking the dog And you look positively wicked.


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## tjc67 (Jul 28, 2013)

The Mr. Borden tombstones cracked me up.


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## stoic_clown (Nov 11, 2011)

RoxyBlue said:


> What a fabulous set up! The wooded setting really enhanced the look of the haunt.
> 
> Love the little skellie looking all dapper wearing his bowler while walking the dog And you look positively wicked.


 Thanks for the kind words, RoxyBlue. Yeah, we lucked out with the topography of our new yard and that undeveloped lot nextdoor. Got some ideas and plans to make further use of them thar woods in the future. And I usually go for "warm and cuddly" with my costume selections, but I guess I can settle for wicked. :devil:


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## stoic_clown (Nov 11, 2011)

tjc67 said:


> The Mr. Borden tombstones cracked me up.


 Thanks tjc67. Can't take all the credit for the Borden family plot. Got that idea from someone else on the internet years ago (though I forget who now). But that has continued to be a popular part of my cemetery collection, particularly with the parents.


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