# Gravestones



## Sytnathotep (Oct 10, 2011)

Heya Peeps!

Ok, I've finally got around to getting pics of my tombstones, the ones I made last year, and the new ones for this year! They are all made from 1in thick pink sheet insulation, glued together to make then 2 in thick. Then crosses are 3 in thick.

First, the new ones, the obelisk is over 4 foot tall, to give a sense of size..










This one was an experiment with cheap dollar store Xmas balls to make the topper. I'm happy with the results, however I feel the dixie cup for the middle is to obvious...lol










This is the first one I ever made.Epitaph reads: 
_Arthur C. Homan, 1899-1953. "Once I wasn't. Then I was. Now I ain't again."_










Epitaph reads: _R.I.P. "I was somebody. Who, is no business of yours."_










Epitaph reads: _'Dover' 'Ben' 1817-1890 Beloved Husband. 'Ilene' 1822-1901 Loving Wife and Mother_" Sad thing about this one, no one seems to catch the humor, I have to explain it to most people, sadly. lol Do you get the joke in it?










There are more pictures of some of my other stones that can be seen here on my website.

Thanks!!


----------



## Hairazor (Mar 13, 2012)

Your stones have an incredible aged look! They are great! And yes, got the Dover, heehee!


----------



## dead hawk (Jun 5, 2012)

I love those, I need to get foam for alot o projects I am hoping to build this year.


----------



## fontgeek (Jul 24, 2006)

Fun!
I hope the Keltic cross on the right lasts. That ring/halo looks so fragile.

On the humor, I think that part of the problem is that you have "Dover" before "Ben" in the wording, that, along with the aging and color make it a bit tougher to read and follow, even in daylight, now reduce the amount of light and it's pretty much unreadable, but, let the people read it and get it or not. Sometimes things like this hit them in the middle of the night, then they have to come back to make sure they read them correctly.
I've never seen an obelisk with a finial before, but if it works for you, go for it.


----------



## Sytnathotep (Oct 10, 2011)

Thanks for the replies guys!



fontgeek said:


> Fun!
> I hope the Keltic cross on the right lasts. That ring/halo looks so fragile.
> 
> On the humor, I think that part of the problem is that you have "Dover" before "Ben" in the wording, that, along with the aging and color make it a bit tougher to read and follow, even in daylight, now reduce the amount of light and it's pretty much unreadable, but, let the people read it and get it or not. Sometimes things like this hit them in the middle of the night, then they have to come back to make sure they read them correctly.
> I've never seen an obelisk with a finial before, but if it works for you, go for it.


Fontgeek, I think it will hold up. The ring segments are glued in with 'gorilla' glue, and 1" think, nothing short of blunt force trauma should hurt them. I don't have ToT's, so its pretty safe. XD

As for the humor, yeah, it's not so much that its hard to read, its the order of it that throw's them off. I may set in later. lol

And for obelisk finials, this is true, I have only seen a couple similar to that. What I'd really like to do is figure out some cheap, light weight urn shape, without having to actually care one. lol Xmas balls was the first shot.

Thanks!


----------



## Headless (Sep 4, 2011)

Great job with these. Yes I got the "Dover" wording. Even with Ben up the top - some people just wouldn't get it so I wouldn't worry too much. The aging is amazingly well done. Some of the lettering has been a little compromised by it but perhaps it is looking worse in the photos. You could always run a little paint over the lettering again to make it stand out. But great work!!! I love all detail.


----------



## Pumpkin5 (Aug 8, 2010)

:jol:Wow! They are fantastic. I just love them, especially the Celtic cross. You are just plain great at everything you do.


----------



## scarrycher (May 30, 2012)

loved them all, great work


----------



## Copchick (Apr 10, 2012)

Lol! As soon as I read "Dover" I thought of Ben before I read it. I like your RIP Was Somebody stone. It has a nice design and texture. Nice stones!


----------



## RoxyBlue (Oct 6, 2008)

I totally got the Dover humor, but then I did just make three Dover family stones for our yard this year, so I'm ahead of the pun game in that respect

I love those celtic cross stones!


----------



## fontgeek (Jul 24, 2006)

For more of an urn like shape, you might look at combining a simple bowl and a candy dish. With the bowl turned upside down and then the candy dish mounted on top of it, it can give you more of an ornate urn look that, if painted to look like stone, could fit right in with the rest. If you have an airbrush, you will find that creating a stippled "granite" look or even a sandstone or limestone look is quite simple, and you can control how big or small the stippling is, how dense the texture is, and the colors used, and for a lot less than a rattle can "stone" too.
Now's a good time to take a look at the 99¢ and dollar tree type stores for bowls and candy bowls. Plastic ones will be nice and light and help keep your budget under control too.
You can combine several bowls of different shapes and sizes to get your desired shape.


----------



## The Halloween Lady (Aug 18, 2010)

I think your stones are lovely! You have quite a talent.


----------



## Spooky1 (Aug 25, 2008)

Nice job on the tombstones. I really like the Celtic crosses.


----------



## GhoulishCop (Sep 25, 2009)

It's obvious you're a talented guy, even from the get-go, but you can see your skills improving with the new ones.

With that said, I really like the RIP one. It's got the perfect mix of design, style, and craft all in one. It also like the Dover stone, if for no other reason than you have two names on it, which us haunters rarely do. What size is it?

When I made my Celtic cross, I also did it out of glued-up 1" white foam (mine was three layers thick). Turns out it wasn't the rings I needed to watch out for but the central "column" part with the knot carved in it. Hurricane Sandy broke it half (shock!). The PVC/rebar held the base tightly in place so it didn't blow away...but it snapped right above where the PVC ended. Who'd a thought 70 mph winds could do that?! LOL! Fortunately it can be repaired.










I also don't think the plastic cup is so identifiable, though only because you pointed it out can I see it now. The Christmas ornament gives a different touch to the tombstone. All of them are really very good. Can't wait to see what you make this year!

Rich


----------



## Lilly (Jun 13, 2006)

very nice stones ..great job!


----------



## jdubbya (Nov 6, 2005)

Really nice job on the design and aging. It's extra work to have to glue two pieces together for the desired thickness but worth it. Nice job!


----------



## Sytnathotep (Oct 10, 2011)

Thanks for the remarks guys!

GhoulishCop, that looks great! I still want to do one like that with the raised knotting, mine came our a little too small to do it this time. The Dover stone is about 2 foot tall, and around 30in wide.

jdubbya, Thanks! I know it is a pain, but considering the 1in stuff I'm using is free, that really makes it worth it! lol


----------



## kenkozpgh (Sep 5, 2011)

Excellent job. They look great.


----------



## hpropman (Jul 27, 2008)

Great job on those stones


----------



## fick209 (Aug 31, 2009)

They all look great, nice work!


----------



## Jack Mac (Nov 28, 2012)

Very cool looking! The finishing on them is top notch in my opinion. What type of glue is used to adhere foam to foam?


----------



## Uruk-Hai (Nov 4, 2006)

Awesome stones!!! Love the old and weathered look you've achieved. The 2 celtic crosses are my favourites.


----------



## darrinplank (Dec 10, 2012)

I caught the joke imediately on Ben & Ilene's Marker. Good job.


----------



## Sytnathotep (Oct 10, 2011)

Jack Mac said:


> Very cool looking! The finishing on them is top notch in my opinion. What type of glue is used to adhere foam to foam?


Not glue, but this stuff! Its an awesome primer, I also use it as the base coat. The link is white but it comes in grey which is what I use. Got the idea from here on this forum!


----------

