[zombombie]

Your costume looks great, and the machete has come out really well!

[pagemaster1993]

I agree with Sonic the blade and costume should carry in the effect of the background. GOT BLOOD?

[CorpseBride]

Great work mesmark! I always look forward to seeing your haunt take shape every year. We seem to be on the same page this year...I made a very similar Grim Reaper and have splattered up some white sheets. You have a major one up on me though...those machetes are a piece of art! They are so well done. Nice work!

[mesmark]

CB - Thanks the machetes came out nice. I will add blood to the larger one and place it in the scene. I might add blood to the guards blade as well. I'll just have to see how it goes.

I'm going to keep my blade nice and clean for now. I want to create the idea that there is a killer loose but I don't want to point any severed fingers at anyone. It might even make for a fun party game if I can have a sort of murder mystery. We'll have to see ....

Speaking of games. I made the severed body parts cards. I tried to make them fun but also for kids. However, I felt like it was a little much so I made the same game but with different images. If the slasher/body parts/blood splatter is too much, kids can play the find the candies game.

The first image is the card backing and the others are the examples of the cards. I'll make 6 things to find, 8 buffer cards and a losing card. So, all cards will be placed face down. Kids will turn over one card at a time. If they find all of the body parts, they win. If they get a blood splatter then it's just a warning. However, if the slasher turns up, the game is over.

[zombombie]

Those cards are wicked! I'm sure they'll love those

[mesmark]

I got some good work done today. I have a shot of the hatchet painted and then bloodied.





I also worked a bit on the guard. I stabilized the joints, first with electrical tape and then drilled a hole through and ran a wire.


Here's the piece I added to give the head more depth:


and now he has wire hands to wrap around the staff and hold the lantern:


I added a bit of creepy cloth for just more and to take the 'new' edge off:


I also made one more game for kids. They will bounce eyeballs off a table and have to get them into the eyes or mouth, one of the black cups.


While it seems easy, here's the result of my son and I giving it a go.

2 out of 15 is terrible, but triple that. The ball bounced out quite a bit. However, like a carnival you can make the game easier or more difficult by changing the board angle.

Still a few more little things to do, but I should be done before carving time starts.

[zombombie]

Your reaper looks great Mark, but that cup game is inspired! I love the colour and shape you chose Really tempted to steal your idea and turn it into a drinking game similar to beer pong...

[DeadKing]

Wow! This is all amazing mesmark. I love, love love it...

[ghostface]

Everything looks great!

[nosferatu]

Looks amazing. A few years ago, can't remember the website sadly, someone was building a reaper or a skeletal groundbreaker. All I can remember is that to make the bones of the hand they had used varying lengths of glue stick and simply stuck them together. It was simple and simply stunning.

I reckon if you added one hand or a few protruding fingures to your reaper it would be an absolute showstopper. Not that it isnt already mind, but I always like to see those deathly hands. I blame Family Guy.

[monstermash]

He looks fab Mes, and your joints look nice and stable now especially with the added wire. I can't see him toppling over. Your ball in a cup game is excellent too, it reminds me of the old fairground game with goldfish bowls. I use that idea for next year to go with my apple bobbing.

Oh, I spy some pumpkins in those pictures...

[mesmark]

I reckon if you added one hand or a few protruding fingers to your reaper it would be an absolute showstopper.

Yeah, when I was in the States, I was looking for a skeleton hand that I could shape but there wasn't anything like that in the two places I looked. I had thought about making some sort of papermache hand, but a glue stick hand you say ... sounds interesting. I'll see what I can do.

Your ball in a cup game is excellent too, it reminds me of the old fairground game with goldfish bowls. I use that idea for next year to go with my apple bobbing.

Thanks! I might have gotten the idea for the cup and ball game from the fairgrounds. I was just sitting around with my eyeballs trying to think of something I could do with them.

The game was very easy to make. I think it took about an hour.

And, yes. I scoured the area and finally came up with a few pumpkins. I think I have 15 or so carve-able pumpkins. I have to hurry and get these projects finished so I can get my pumpkin carving done. After all, isn't that why we're here?

[Drayco]

A few years ago, can't remember the website sadly, someone was building a reaper or a skeletal groundbreaker. All I can remember is that to make the bones of the hand they had used varying lengths of glue stick and simply stuck them together. It was simple and simply stunning.

This may be the website you're talking about: Cloaked Ghost. The glue stick hands is the third pic down.

Great job on your blood splatter room project and props Mesmark!

[nosferatu]

Bingo Drayco! Should have asked you in the first place! That is the picture I remember.

[mesmark]

I never want to disappoint Nos and Drayco went out of the way to point me in a direction ...



the left hand will have just two bony fingers sticking out


I couldn't decide if I wanted the guard's weapon bloodied. But, I finally decided that, yes! it's a good idea. Mostly because I want to also have some color.