# Angel tombstone started



## Frankie-s Girl (Apr 5, 2009)

I love the "Beloved" tombstones, but they are too large for my small graveyard.

I found a GREAT angel garden statue at Big Lots, and got the idea of putting her with a tombstone... and decided to make my own version of the Beloved stone, but with the garden statue instead of the almost full-sized figure...

Here is the statue in position with the stone I've just carved. I still need to carve a base (it's going to be two level stairstepped with the angel snugged into the base to look like one complete piece), but I think it's going to look really good!










If you can't read the smaller text it is this:

Tread softly, stranger
Our dreams
Lie buried here

It is from an authentic stone from a small cemetery in Kentucky - I found the place during my childhood rambles, and that stone's epitaph has stuck with me all these years... and I find it funny that my bizarre love of graveyards and stones has finally found an outlet!

I'm going to paint the stone up to match the creamy white color of the angel, and then put lichen green into the recessed areas - I like the idea of having a differently colored stone than the usual grey and the angel is quite marble-like without any paint at all...


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## DarkLore (Jan 25, 2009)

I like it. That's going to look sweet. Be sure to post more photos.


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## IMU (Apr 8, 2009)

Looks great and I think a lighter color will add a lot to your graveyard! Can't wait to see more of this project.


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## dave the dead (Jan 31, 2007)

Classy!


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## spideranne (Jul 17, 2006)

I love those garden statues and have always wanted to incorporate one into a tombstone. Keep us posted on your progress.


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## Wildcat (Nov 3, 2007)

Looks like a great start. Can't wait to see it come together.


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## jdubbya (Nov 6, 2005)

Following along and poaching ideas!


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## scream1973 (Dec 23, 2007)

Awesome i like it


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## deathstaste (Apr 20, 2007)

*just an idea*

you carve the edge of the stone next to the angle for a tighter fit so that when you are finished it looks to be carved from one piece of stone


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## slightlymad (May 25, 2006)

Very nice start


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## RoxyBlue (Oct 6, 2008)

That's a lovely idea and a lovely epitaph.


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## Just Whisper (Jan 19, 2009)

deathstaste said:


> you carve the edge of the stone next to the angle for a tighter fit so that when you are finished it looks to be carved from one piece of stone


I thought that is what you said you were going to do. Maybe I misunderstood. And if not, it is a good idea. It looks great so far and i can't wait to see it finished.


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## Frankie-s Girl (Apr 5, 2009)

I have progress pics, and more to come.

Here is the tombstone with the recessed areas painted dark gray and the first coat of off-white on it. I went back over the small text with a ball point pen tip (ball point retracted) to push down the edges and make them a little less crisp looking. I used a wood burner to do the carving, but it does tend to leave a smooth, clean edge and I didn't want that... I still think the small text is a bit too clean looking, but that's the best I can do with it now, and I may try to experiment when I get to the finish painting.










And here is the base pic, also with the first coat of paint. I decided to make it only one level, to save foam/time.  I glued it up with foam-safe glue, and then used silicone caulk on the edges. 









I plan on really getting to the paint today, so depending on how fast the coats of paint dry, I may be able to finish this by tonight. (we're having severe T-storms and it's very humid here).


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## smileyface4u23 (Apr 1, 2008)

It's looking really good! Can't wait to see more pics.


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## IMU (Apr 8, 2009)

Ooow, that looks really good. Can't wait to see more pics!


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## Joiseygal (Sep 3, 2008)

I can't wait to see what it looks like when it is done! So far it is looking really good!


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## Frankie-s Girl (Apr 5, 2009)

*Angel tombstone FINISHED!*

I said it would be finished this weekend, and I made it!

All of the pics are making the stone look more gray than it actually is. It has a slight tan cast to it with off white, and then the gray areas are really only in the recessed parts. I made this in three pieces: stone, base and angel. The stone will have two posts drilled through and when the stone is snugged down, it will be pushed into the ground, with the base also holding it steady. The angel is tightly fit into it's slot, and she weighs enough to keep the base and stone stable, so the posts in the stone will act as a bit more stability in windy conditions (fingers crossed).

I did several washes of the tan, let it dry and then using a kitchen sponge (damped with clean water) dabbed on the off white and then used the sponge to blot at the white and spread it out to a mottled texture. I then went back over the recesses with a small artist's paintbrush and the gray and painted in the cracks and depressions.

I used the artist's brush and very watered down gray and hit the low points on the angel and then used a towel to wipe off the excess so she looked weathered.









I then snugged the angel into the cut out (with much trial and error - wanted it SNUG, but had to keep cutting bits of foam off to fit her base through). I traced both the tombstone and the base of the angel and then cut INSIDE the lines and then cut off more as necessary to fit them both in their slots snugly. *You can hopefully see the sponge painting better on the base here)









You can see in this pic that there is some of the white-bead styrofoam under her - it is about a two inch thick square to raise her so she is even with the top of the tombstone base - didn't think of this until after, but it works perfectly (but is something to take into consideration if you make something similar - measure your tombstone base to account for the necessary height of the base of the statue + the riser of foam she'll be sitting on.









And the finished and complete stone:









I think it turned out even better than I expected, and I'm very proud of it! 

(Edited to add: I forgot that I did go back on the small text in the epitaph with some sandpaper to remove the initial coating of paint... and then hit it with some spray paint to degrade the lettering and make it look aged. Terra of the most beautiful tombstones gave me the suggestion to go ahead and do it, and I think it REALLY helped make the overall stone look old and aged)


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## Revenant (Mar 17, 2007)

As well you should be! That looks awesome! Beautiful stone, and the marble look is a nice classy change of pace.


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## Hervoyel (Oct 17, 2008)

I'd be sorely tempted to get out the Dremel tool and turn that statues face into a skull or a semi-decomposed face.


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## Hervoyel (Oct 17, 2008)

Looks great though. I should have added that to my previous post and can't figure out how to edit it. I see what you were going for and it looks outstanding.


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## smileyface4u23 (Apr 1, 2008)

It looks perfect! Very nice job!


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## jdubbya (Nov 6, 2005)

Didn't see the last posts/pics in this thread. What a great job on finishing the stone. So you did use a tan wash? Wow! Came out great. Nice job on the base and foam supporting the statue. Great idea. I hoisted one of these at Big Lots and I think it's heavy enough that it wouldn't blow over even in a good wind.


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## RoxyBlue (Oct 6, 2008)

Hervoyel said:


> Looks great though. I should have added that to my previous post and can't figure out how to edit it. I see what you were going for and it looks outstanding.


You'll be able to edit once you have a few more posts.

This piece really turned out beautifully, Frankie.


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## DeathTouch (Sep 6, 2005)

I love the tombstone!


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## cerinad (Jun 23, 2008)

Wow! That is really great! Love It!


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## SpookySam (Mar 27, 2007)

Well done. I know that piece would get my attention among the other tombstones in a Halloween cemetery.


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## Just Whisper (Jan 19, 2009)

Very classy and extremely well done. I am going to add some nicer pieces to my cemetery this year. I really like the look of the classy tombstones when mixed with the scary stuff. It makes it all look more realistic, therefore, more scary. This is a most excellent prop.


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## Demon Dog (Mar 30, 2009)

Very nicely done, and very realistic!


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## hpropman (Jul 27, 2008)

wonderful work i love it - I am going to have to start looking at statues and parts to be used with tombstones.


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## IMU (Apr 8, 2009)

WOW ... what a great "little" tombstone ... awesome!


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## Alice (Sep 26, 2008)

Wow that is really great. Good job!


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