# Beloved Tombstone Singer



## DarkLore

I just started a new tombstone prop. Just in case anyone wants to use the sketch, click here.

Apologies...I can't take any photos, I don't have my camera available right now. But I'm very happy with the way it's shaping up.

This tombstone isn't the main prop..it's a backdrop to a talking female ground breaker that I'm working on. I've programmed specific songs for her to sing. And I'm accessorizing with a few extras. Unless I change my thought pattern, she'll be positioned as if she's chugging down a bottle of poison. And singing a few chosen ballads of heartache.


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## Dark Angel 27

wow. very interesting. im assuming she's gonna be an animated ground breaker? very nice idea! love it! can't wait to see the finished product!


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## Mr_Chicken

whoa...neat idea...can't wait for the pics


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## RoxyBlue

Very clever idea! What songs will this forlorn lass be singing?


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## TNBrad

Is it going to be a pepper's ghost effct?


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## DarkLore

RoxyBlue said:


> Very clever idea! What songs will this forlorn lass be singing?


If it all comes out properly...[pun intended].....she will sit next to a pottery wheel. There will also be some roses and some type heart displayed. Whether that ends up in her chest or in a funeral type display, I'm not sure. The accessories will be remotely accessed to move or be lit up according to the song.

Song list probably will include the following songs. I have a few of these already programmed. Suggestions welcome but ..must be female and it should have something subtle to do with dismemberment, ghosts, lost/dead love, etc. For example..when she sings Piece of My Heart..I want to light up a beating heart.

In order of preference...

Piece of My Heart (Beverly Knight)
Unchained Melody (Ryan Marissa)
LeAnne Rhimes (Without You)
LeAnne Rhimes (I Fall To Pieces)
LeAnne Rhimes (Amazing Grace)
Roxette (Listen to Your Heart)
LeAnne Rhimes (Some Say Love)


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## DarkLore

TNBrad said:


> Is it going to be a pepper's ghost effct?


No..but that's a very interesting thought. I would probably have approached it a little differently. But now you have me wondering what I would have done if she were seen as a reflection.

Here are some photos of the tombstone. I'm not sure what the base will look like. The stone will guide me to that after it's painted. Unfortunately, it will probably end up quite a bit bigger than the figure, but I don't care. (In one of the photos you can see my truck tire in the back.)

Also...I accidently let glue seep down it. That shouldn't matter after it's painted. (I'm still gluing layers together and thus the outline isn't cut yet.)


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## RoxyBlue

The carving is beautiful, DL.


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## DarkLore

Thank you. 


(another song possibility: Jewel - Who Will Save Your Soul)


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## Mr_Chicken

excellent tombstone work!


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## DarkLore

Now it's time to mess it up.

Last year one of my nieces moved in while job hunting. She loved the thought of being in the U.S. Army. Wanting the bedroom to feel a bit more like hers, she asked if she could paint it. I said okay. We went down and picked up a few gallons of army green and camo colors.

Today she is in the Army....graduated from boot camp.... and I still have the paint. Thus...a little moss colored army green in honor of our military....


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## Dixie

Wow-O, Wow, am I ever loving this thread, DL.... Love the thickness of the stone (which is saying a lot in Texas, right?) and the carving is making me so jealous I have been searching new patterns all night.... Cannot WAIT to see it progress... and you and HB had BETTER be bringing the stones to the make/take this weekend, so I can touch them in person! 

Thanks so much for letting us follow - very inspirational!


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## DarkLore

Dixie said:


> Wow-O, Wow, am I ever loving this thread, DL.... Love the thickness of the stone (which is saying a lot in Texas, right?) and the carving is making me so jealous I have been searching new patterns all night.... Cannot WAIT to see it progress... and you and HB had BETTER be bringing the stones to the make/take this weekend, so I can touch them in person!
> 
> Thanks so much for letting us follow - very inspirational!


I'm just happy anyone reads the thread.

My stone is loosely based on a real stone. I was searching tombstone pictures, looking for something with flowers. I also thought the figure might sing House of the Rising Sun - Sinead O'connor's version. So the image at the top of my stone is a flower, but it's symbolizing a rising sun.

_Ha ha. This didn't ever have to make sense to anyone but me. _

Here's the original stone.










I took a few more photos of the next coat. But the camera flash is making this stone look wrong. On the photo I see two distinct color layers. In person, it's very mossy and green. I'll wait for some daylight.

So far, my objective is to cover the stone - eliminating any pink. And get the depths with a blend of the darkest colors I plan to use. (This one will not have black letters.)


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## joker

Nice job DL. The carving looks great! Can't wait to see the finished product.


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## The Watcher

Beautiful work, such detail.


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## IMU

WOW ... that is looking amazing! What did you use to carve the stone? I am getting ready to do my haunt poem sign and the thought of carving it out with an hot knife is getting to me


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## lewlew

Looking really good! Do you use anything specific to get the paint into the narrow script writing? I've tried everything from the smallest paint brush I can find to q-tips but nothing seems to work or fit very well.

Looking forward to seeing your progress.


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## RoxyBlue

Beautiful even at the "in progress" stage, DL.


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## halloween71

Can't wait to see more!


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## Uruk-Hai

That is looking so AWESOME!! I love the detail carving - so realistic. You've really elevated it to the next level. Looking forward to seeing more of it as you go.


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## The Archivist

Did you use a pattern to cut out the detail or did you use a CNC hot wire cutter? Beautiful job.


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## stick

I just want to be like everybody else and say the carving of this stone looks out standing and I look forward to see more pictures of the finished product.


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## DarkLore

IMU said:


> WOW ... that is looking amazing! What did you use to carve the stone? I am getting ready to do my haunt poem sign and the thought of carving it out with an hot knife is getting to me


If I can recall Dixie's words at our last make-n-take...."that's a very noisey Dremel type tool you have there". She's right. It's some cheap off brand dremel tool. If you saw me carve you'd laugh. I have some kind of physical issue that makes my hands shake. Maybe just stress...who knows. Therefore, I use two hands to try to steady my carving.

I don't think it has much to do with the dremel tool as you're approach to carving. Instead of trying to paint pin stripes on a shirt. For a painting of a man in pin stripes - try painting the area that isn't a pin stripe. To carve an elephant, chip away everything that isn't the elephant.

I don't even have a good supply of dremel tips. But I liked the one I borrowed from Joker a couple weeks ago....so I bought one like that. Small cylinder type. I don't even think I switched it out. If I did, it would have been to one that has a point on it.

As for the other methods I've heard of...and tried.....I just don't get it. The next best method I'd choose would probably be a simple, sharp, exacto blade. I tried the glue gun, soldering iron, etc. None of those methods work well for me.


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## DarkLore

The Archivist said:


> Did you use a pattern to cut out the detail or did you use a CNC hot wire cutter? Beautiful job.


A link to the pattern I created is in one of the first posts. That's the actual image I sketched onto the foam. Even through my paint, you can see my pen marks.

(I think that adds personality...so I never worry about covering it up. I'd like to think that maybe someday, a great grandchild will find please in seeing my marks in the foam. lol...as if that foam will last that long.

Nothing so fancy as a wire cutter. You see almost every step. I draw on the foam. I slice the foam up and glue it to another. Eventually, I'll cut the edge of that with a scrollsaw. For the leaves and such...that's just dremel carved. (Although I built the GOE wire cutter...I'ver never built the table for it.)

Thank you all for the kind words.


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## DarkLore

lewlew said:


> Looking really good! Do you use anything specific to get the paint into the narrow script writing? I've tried everything from the smallest paint brush I can find to q-tips but nothing seems to work or fit very well.
> 
> Looking forward to seeing your progress.


I used one of those really cheap, small, foam brushes. In fact, at lunch today I stopped by Michaels. They are 15 for a dollar right now. If I run out of a cheap small ones, I use one of the cheap medium ones. I literally just jam that baby down in there and scrub it around. Even the dot in "Loving". Shove it around...if it doesn't make it...slosh it a bit and let the paint drip in there.

Most of you know this...but for people reading who don't...I'm using flat latex paint. Latex is like plastic paint. As it air dries...the paint molecules pull it together.

One of the reasons I like those brushes....because help clean off the flakes and messy foam shavings that I'm too lazy to bother about. It's a prop...in my opinion....doesn't have to be perfect. I really don't mind the rough edges, scratch marks, etc. In fact, I induce them. The layers I painted last night...weren't so good because of the bad lighting. I did a bit of gray that is actually greenish. And i dry brushed a slightly lighter color along some of the edges.










Click here to see detail.

I was looking for a cement look. But I don't like it. I plan to go over it with a new gray coat to start over. Then darken the carved areas. Although it might look more like a carved stone, it won't show up as well when its dark. I want more contrast.


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## DarkLore




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## Dixie

"Carving everything that isnt an elephant".... odd, but these words clicked most with me, and I think I'm going to try some of the patterns that I have been more afraid of, using this mindset. Thank you 

Oh, and I just want to point out that I did NOT laugh at your Dremel-ing style... (I know you didnt SAY that I did... but just in case anyone was thinking I'm just that bad, LOL)

Gosh, it's just turning out really fabulous, DL... can't wait to see more.


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## DarkLore

When I turned on the tool to carve BELOVED, I thought to myself...hmmm....she was right. I suddenly felt as though I was about to be attacked by a giant mosquito.

I want to see these scary patterns of yours.

Here's what I'm thinking is next for me....










I'd also like to find a shape that has a cutout...but something that's original.


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## Zombies R Us

WOW! Nice work, true artistic talent. I think I'll use my dremel now to try this, you are an inspiration. No more wood and jigsaws for me!


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## DarkLore

Zombies R Us said:


> WOW! Nice work, true artistic talent. I think I'll use my dremel now to try this, you are an inspiration. No more wood and jigsaws for me!


Owwh.....Dixie is going to be jeALous. If I know where you are...it's where you can get reALLY THICk foam.


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## Dixie

WHAT?!?! Did I hear REALLY THICK foam?!?!? Egads, man! I neeeeeed some. Going to take a road trip NORTH, just for foam. Jealous, indeed!

Hey, DL... don't EVEN ask me for the "scary template" because its a flippin FLOWER, and I just tried it, and it looks like something my 13 year old could do better. Ugh, will need to really practice on this technique - maybe you can give me some pointers this weekend. (Because I SORELY need them!!) 

PS, love, LOVE the wooden log cross. That makes my hands itch I would want to do that so bad - I DEFINITELY think you should do it!!!


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## DarkLore

Dixie said:


> WHAT?!?! Did I hear REALLY THICK foam?!?!? Egads, man! I neeeeeed some. Going to take a road trip NORTH, just for foam. Jealous, indeed!
> 
> Hey, DL... don't EVEN ask me for the "scary template" because its a flippin FLOWER, and I just tried it, and it looks like something my 13 year old could do better. Ugh, will need to really practice on this technique - maybe you can give me some pointers this weekend. (Because I SORELY need them!!)
> 
> PS, love, LOVE the wooden log cross. That makes my hands itch I would want to do that so bad - I DEFINITELY think you should do it!!!


lol....Nothing says you can't do one (cross/log) yourself.

What went wrong with the flower? Was it the drawing, or was it hard to cut out? PM me an example, sketch or something.


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## JohnnyAppleseed

DL,wonderful work! I too prefer the dremel to anything else out there. My one flaw is sometimes forgetting to ensure the tip is alll the way out before moving to a new area, especially when your hands are getting tired....makes for some interesting cracks though! Hey Dixie, thick foam up here in Washington....you and Jaybo should begin chanting road trip, I'll feed you at least!


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## DarkLore

Listen to him taunt us with his fancy foam.


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## Haunted Bayou

Fantastic carving on the stone. Can't wait to see it on Saturday.


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## lewlew

DarkLore said:


> I used one of those really cheap, small, foam brushes. In fact, at lunch today I stopped by Michaels. They are 15 for a dollar right now. If I run out of a cheap small ones, I use one of the cheap medium ones. I literally just jam that baby down in there and scrub it around. Even the dot in "Loving". Shove it around...if it doesn't make it...slosh it a bit and let the paint drip in there.


Thanks for the tip! I'll give that a try. I'm supposing you let them dry flat so the paint doesn't run. Thanks again and the progress looks fantastic!


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## fritz42_male

Beautiful job mate.

I want to try making foam headstones. Last year all mine were made out of painted chipboard - flat, prone to moisture problems and HEAVY


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## DeathTouch

Man, is that good!


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## Anitafacelift

Holy cow! That's AWESOME!


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## Dixie

JohnnyAppleseed said:


> DL,wonderful work! I too prefer the dremel to anything else out there. My one flaw is sometimes forgetting to ensure the tip is alll the way out before moving to a new area, especially when your hands are getting tired....makes for some interesting cracks though! Hey Dixie, thick foam up here in Washington....you and Jaybo should begin chanting road trip, I'll feed you at least!


SIGH.... JA, I'm afraid that if Jaybo and I come up there for foam and dinner, we would fall in love with Whidbey Island, and would NEVER LEAVE!! 

Haha, I'm not showing you this first one, DL... I'm going to practice again tonight though... I think my first attempt was way too small. If this one is less embarrassing, I will show that one to you


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## Haunted Bayou

Does the carved stone carve out smoother than the blue foam? Or was I just too impatient or was it that bit?


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## Alucard

Very nice tombstone work! Looking forward to seeing more.


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## DarkLore

During the day it looked good. At night, in dim lighting, it didn't show up as well as I wanted. And that's when it will be displayed. 

So....I changed it. lol


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## Aquayne

Do you think this would be good to carve words on the stones (foam)?
http://www.harborfreight.com/cpi/ctaf/displayitem.taf?Itemnumber=42831
It looks like a great tool much like a dremel but on steroids.


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## DarkLore

Aquayne said:


> Do you think this would be good to carve words on the stones (foam)?
> http://www.harborfreight.com/cpi/ctaf/displayitem.taf?Itemnumber=42831
> It looks like a great tool much like a dremel but on steroids.


No. I have a similar tool...a rotozip. That type is too big and too powerful to control on foam. The one I use is something like this [click]. It's a cheap imitation of a dremel tool. Use a dremel brand if you are willing to ante up the money.

I also have one of the HF cheapie blue tools...they suck. But at least when you throw it away, you still have a 12vdc power supply.


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## DarkLore

Here's the initial attempt at a framework for my beloved singer.

She will hold a bottle of poison in her raised hand...accidently (or not) pouring it into a pot held against her exposed rib cage with the other arm. I've decided to make her into a singing fountain...with some type of mountain dew colored liquid dripping out of the bottle and into the pot as she laments her lost love. The tubing has been run through the structure so that it's already in place when I mache the figure.

I want my singer to exhibit ambiguity over whether the poison was originally intended for suicide versus an accidental or intentional poisoning. So the viewer's first thought is this person committed suicide, lamenting her lost love. Upon closer inspection...the pot will show the word Loverboy carved into it. And the viewer will understand that she was actually a jeolous lover who murdered this cheating bastard. And she's singing about the time and energy she's devoted to him before he started cheating on her.

I also plan to setup up some accessory props along side the figure. Such as small foam pumpkins that I can control via distant push buttons...wired with a few 12vdc leds. This way, when she sings...I can have the accessories join her in chorus. Maybe leaving this interactive for TOTs.










Her mouth is servo controlled with the wiring running through the structure and out the base. I was in a hurry to get it mounted....and built this make shift bracket out of aluminum. It appears to work just fine.


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## RoxyBlue

Hey, is that a severed arm reaching for the broom?

This is shaping up to be an entertaining prop. I like the twist to her back story, too.


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## halloween71

I am excited to see this prop!


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## DarkLore

RoxyBlue said:


> Hey, is that a severed arm reaching for the broom?
> 
> This is shaping up to be an entertaining prop. I like the twist to her back story, too.


lol....yes, it's a severed arm. Just something I attached to a zombie escape to test the movement. When you buy those at the store, they are so fake. And why do they presume everyone wants blood stains on them? So...I take some acrylic paint and paint them to look like my own arms.


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## halloween71

Got her going yet?


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## DarkLore

She's further along than the photos. But I haven't finished her yet. It's about time I did though, huh?


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## DarkLore

I loaned this prop to the art class at the local school. I recently retrieved it, so now it's time to do some work on her to get it completed.










The photo shows the fountain operating. On Halloween, I'll color the liquid with some UV dye or something. The jaw servo works just fine, as does the fountain. I'm going to give her some type of durable coating, some paint, hair, and clothes.


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## lisa48317

I guess Lita Ford's "Shot of Poison" is a bit too metal for this prop? 

This is a great idea, even without the singing part! I love the groundbreaker with the bottle.


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## DarkLore

lisa48317 said:


> I guess Lita Ford's "Shot of Poison" is a bit too metal for this prop?
> 
> This is a great idea, even without the singing part! I love the groundbreaker with the bottle.


I'm not familiar with it. But I'm pulling it up on YouTube for a listen. Thanks.


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## HalloweenZombie

That's a beautiful stone. Can't wait to see it finished.


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## Dixie

Aw come'on DL..... any updates on this one?!?! I want to see her, with the stone... !! Get to work over there!!


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## buckaneerbabe

Wow, now that's a very creative prop and stone. I can't wait to see this finished!!


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## DarkLore

I don't have a photo of her in front of the stone. But here's one in the garage.

I expect to tour goodwill for some kind of old white lacy dress (top) or something. When I display her, I plan on spraying alot of red paint around the area. Originally I planned flourescent poison for the liquid. Now I'm thinking it should be blood - due to the fact that I chopped off the top of her head.

(The similarity in appearance to my ex-wife is purely coincidental.)


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## DarkLore

Any suggestions for improvement?


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## DarkLore

I posted those photos and my daughter says, "she looks too much like an ordinary girl."

Okay...she's got a point. Let's try a little blood, a bit of grime, and we get...




























And she's, oh...urgh...erg...ga...yuck. Hmmm...I'll take that as a positive comment.


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## scareme

She's coming along great. Does she have a name. If your daughter thinks she looks like an ordinary girl, I'd worry about her. Or check out her school to see if it has turned into Zombie High. Are those the eyes we got from Erebus? I like the way the eye hangs.


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## DarkLore

No, they aren't the same eyes. These are deodorant balls - purchased from monster guts. No pupils. I tried the ones we got from Erebus but they didnt look right. I might have used them if I wanted to light them up.


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## PirateLady

Looking good....


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## Spooky1

Holy Crap, how did I miss this thread? The tombstone is gorgeous, and I like what you're doing with the corpse.


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## DarkLore

Spooky1 said:


> Holy Crap, how did I miss this thread? The tombstone is gorgeous, and I like what you're doing with the corpse.


Thanks Spooky. It's an older thread. Does it look better with the corpsey look or did I take it in the wrong direction? Other than accenting with flicker candles, I'm not sure what else to do on it.


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## bobzilla

Wowzers...beautiful work!


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## RoxyBlue

You might consider knocking a couple teeth out

I think the hanging eyeball is a good touch, but they do look more like deodorant balls than eyes. Perhaps some filmy looking irises/pupils could be added?


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## CreeepyCathy

awesome job on that!


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## DarkLore

RoxyBlue said:


> You might consider knocking a couple teeth out
> 
> I think the hanging eyeball is a good touch, but they do look more like deodorant balls than eyes. Perhaps some filmy looking irises/pupils could be added?


I'm not sure I've got the flimy part down...I'll have to experiment a bit. I painted the eyes with craft paint. One a little duller than the other. Then went over the hanging one with a mixture of white of clear gloss coat.

ooh oh...adendum. How about a crow or two to accessorize? I've already got a few pumpkins and flicker candles.


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## RoxyBlue

DarkLore said:


> ooh oh...adendum. How about a crow or two to accessorize? I've already got a few pumpkins and flicker candles.


If you want to be really icky, perch a crow on her head and have it going for that hanging eyeball


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## DarkLore

I added a platform of sorts to my beloved singer/fountain. To self-contain a sound card and scary terry board.

One of the recent threads brought up the topic of synching speech. For grins this evening, I synched a sound using one channel for the audio and another for the prop signal. You can be the judge. (I was quite surprised at my Flipcam's ability to pick up the sound.)


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## DarkLore




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## halloween71

Love her!!!!!


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## fontgeek

Having crows, or rats with her to provide the backing vocals would be great!
I found these stones that might be of interest.
http://www.stencilkingdom.com/catalogue/haunted/catalogue_body_haunted.php


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## DarkLore

Thanks for the input. 

I built a section of fence to go behind the prop - to display at my office. I intend to put a few crows on it.

I could put 2-3 crows on the fence with beaks controlled by fish line and a single servo, but I'd have to pay for another controller and rework the programming. At this point I'm not willing to do that for a one day display.


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## DarkLore

Standing in front of the prop, my lighting was fine and everything is visible. I'm still getting used to video taping props for posting. Apologies Dixie...I tried to give you a proper view of what she looks like.


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## Dixie

Oh my stars, Darklore, I adore it!!! I have watched it twice now, I had never heard that song before (I know, mock me later for it, alright?!) and now I can't get it out of my head!!! 

Amazing look to her, fluid movements, perfect unison, and creepy, creepy scene with all the pieces in place.

What started with my complete adoration for a beautiful tombstone now has me in love with the entire scene, and trying to figure out a way to bribe you into setting it up the weekend after Halloween, just so I can drive over there and see it in person!

Love. It.


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## Manon

Wow. This is stunning!!! I wish that pink foam was widely available here in So Cal. I have to drive 20 miles to get it and every year it just gets shifted to the last minute and then becomes a "next year" project...


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## Manon

Didn't mean to focus on the foam...All of it is freaking awesome!!!


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## RoxyBlue

Now all she needs is an animated skellie strumming a guitar in the background

Beautiful scene!


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## psyko99

That is very cool DL.


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## Jaybo

Woah. That is NOT what I expected that prop to look like. Very unique and very nice!


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## DarkLore

Jaybo said:


> Woah. That is NOT what I expected that prop to look like. Very unique and very nice!


What were you expecting? It's just like the quicky sketch on the first page of the thread...with a few modifications based on thread comments.

....soon to be surrounded by a crapload of crows....per fontgeek's comment. Probably won't get em singing though...sorry. Going to have to make a few trips to Michael's with a coupon or two.


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## Jaybo

DarkLore said:


> What were you expecting? It's just like the quicky sketch on the first page of the thread...with a few modifications based on thread comments.


Well, it has been over two years since you started this thread. I forgot what the original intent of the prop was, and just thought it was the typical drinking zombie prop. So, when this popped up again I was pleasantly surprised!


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## Dixie

Yeah, DL, Jayson and I are both in love with this whole thing, as I think you know. You hooked me so long ago with what is probably my top favorite tombstone of all time - there is just something about it that I love, then the scene, the song, the girl. Och, you really nailed this one my friend.


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## hedg12

That's awesome! The Sinatra cover of Bang Bang really gives it an eerie feel - I love it!


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## scareme

Tha people in your office are going to be blown away. Every year I think you can't top yourself, and then you go and do it. I doubt you'll get any work done that day with everyone coming in your office to check it out. As every has said it looks great. Would you please get some pictures of the display with the fence and crows in the background?


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## Jaybo

This is still one of my favorite props and I thought it needs be brought up for peoples attention again. I usually do not like the signing props for Halloween. They tend to be more than a little cheesy, but this one is just right. The prop draws you in, and the song gives you a story. It all comes together quite well.


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## fontgeek

I agree, I'd like to see where or how this prop has changed over the last two years.


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