# Monster plant lab (Poison Ivy/Riddler Lair) 2016



## Greenwick (Apr 25, 2013)

I'm not even gonna get the post-Halloween Blues, because now I can finally officially start my plans! This coming year's theme is a lab again, this time with monster plants as the main attraction. Because I'm planning on dressing as a version of Poison Ivy, and my husband is probably dressing as the Riddler, I decided to give it a slight Batman theme as well.

I want to try making one structure, and then really using the house and yard layout to my advantage. So far I've only decorated two main rooms & done a little with our porch/yard. Gotta change that for next year. So here are my plans for now.

_Colors: _Green, Black, Orange (Maybe purple.)


_Outdoor: 
_
- A covered walkway leading up to the front porch, with a plywood ramp
- Signs designating different areas as various research spots (for instance, the chicken coop will be a dinosaur enclosure.) Some signs will point off the property, implying that the facility is bigger than it appears.
- A front door sign with the name of the facility, which I haven't chosen yet.
- Vines, giant pumpkin leaves, and other monster plant bits
- Lights! Still attempting to work something out with lighting. I'm leaning towards battery operated, since solar doesn't work well here. Aiming for $50. Probably I'll go with battery operated lanterns that are put in or near things.
- A roadside sign holder that looks like creepy tree branches & vines are holding it together.

_Walkway:
_
- plant monsters
- specimen displays
- A variety of carved & painted pumpkins
- Interactive science activities
- Fake notes from various imaginary experiments & evil plots
- clues & riddles

_Indoor_:

- A research center that looks like someone just abandoned it in a hurry. This will be on a downstairs desk. Should have:
--- a fake lab set, with beakers full of colored water & horrifying edibles
--- interactive experiments, like matching 'antidotes' with '.poisons.'
--- A microscope, with viewable slides decorated with monstrous specimens.
- a 'Periodic Talking Book Of The Elements' people can use to figure out which chemicals they should mix together for the perfect potion.
- A suggestion box for ways to capture the Batman
- An illustrated research book of poisonous plants. This should take all year to put together, and should be a classic sturdy book.

_Parting gift:
_- A test tube with seeds & garden-themed experiment


i'll be refining this list over time. I want to decide what exactly the clues will be for - leaning towards prizes. I'm trying to aim low as far as cost goes, so if I can splurge, it'll be to make my plans over the top. If I keep at it, this should all be doable.


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## Ghost of Spookie (Sep 28, 2008)

I like the twist on mad lab. Sounds like you are off to a great start. Please keep posting your progress. I'm curious how you'll be making some of your plant monsters.


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## Greenwick (Apr 25, 2013)

Me too!  I've been learning a lot about sculpture lately, so I have some ideas. My thought is that as I research different kinds of killer plants, I'll get a better idea what I want to do. 

The first ones I'm thinking of are:
buttercups (which are apparently super dangerous to ingest), 
wolfsbane (because it is one of the most toxic things to just about every animal, and it's very 
Deadly nightshade (It grows wild all around the property.)

Wht I've learned thus far are about different toxic plants has been very interesting. I should be dangerously educated by the time I'm done.


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## Greenwick (Apr 25, 2013)

Parting gifts: My husband had a great idea for the parting gifts. Test tubes with seed experiments. Guests will receive a test tube with seeds, and a scroll of instructions. Should be something that can be grown in the winter, or I can suggest that people use it to start their plants. 

I'm considering having the seeds unlabeled, so people have a surprise when it grows.
I think it would also be cool to suggest people use the tube to grow the seeds, maybe having the seeds tucked in with a paper towel.


Food:
I'm feeling indecisive about what food to serve this coming year. If I plan it all in character, there's going to be nothing but vegetables. That could be fun, because the usual offerings are not diet friendly, and I think folks would appreciate a break from sugar. (Plus, this will be mid October, so there is plenty of time to enjoy all the sugary goodness!). An added bonus is that if we have way too much to finish off in the coming week, veggies can be fed to our chickens.

I have joked about having a table full of kale, and requiring guests to answer riddles in order to access more delicious treats. I'm probably not that mean, though.


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## lizzyborden (Sep 17, 2009)

Sounds interesting. I will enjoy watching your progress.  Ironically one thing I put on my "to make" list a few months ago was a poison ivy monster. I'm extremely allergic to it and plan to make the ivy monster hideous with fangs, blisters and dripping yellow ooze.


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## Greenwick (Apr 25, 2013)

Oooooh, that sounds fun!! I was thinking of putting fake poison ivy everywhere, but I didn't think about making a monster for it. After learning about wolfsbane, I'm thinking that'll be what I want my biggest monster project to be.

I think my thread will be more fun when I get to the stage of posting pictures. However, I've already set myself up to do tons of art projects, so I'm not sure when I can squeeze time in!


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## Kev730 (Feb 25, 2012)

Here are some ideas. 

Take a yellow highlighter break it open to get the core then put a couple of those in a milk jug and the water turns neon yellow. It glows during the day. 








here are some other ideas ive gathered


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## whichypoo (Jul 29, 2009)

want to watch the whole thing .. I cant wait.


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## Greenwick (Apr 25, 2013)

Thank you, Kev730! That is an awesome idea, and great pictures! I have a bottle in mind I can try this with.


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## dawnski (Jun 16, 2012)

We're planning a Gotham/Arkham asylum themed party for 2016 so I look forward to seeing your progress. If you're not familiar, in the Batman universe, Arkham asylum is where all the villains end up. Think it would tie in nicely with your research center/lab scene. There are some pre-made Arkham signage and forms on this link: https://www.pinterest.com/zim2/halloween-dc-villains/


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## Hilda (Jul 31, 2011)

This sounds fantastic! I'm following!
In the future I want to do a haunted garden with monster plants. Sounds like fun!


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## doto (Nov 20, 2009)

If you haven't checked out Hauntcasts thread...The Village Mire, you should. It's a fantastic job and I think you could gather a few ideas.


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## Greenwick (Apr 25, 2013)

I'm glad I decided to check the forums today. Been so busy the past few months, I forgot your were doing one too, and I'm glad I found your thread for it.


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## Greenwick (Apr 25, 2013)

I'm intending to 3D print the monster plants, so I could send you the files for them if you think they'd work for you. 

Right now I'm in the research stage for poisonous plants, and...there are so many! They are all fascinating! I am still amazed that buttercups are so deadly to humans.


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## Greenwick (Apr 25, 2013)

Thanks! I'll look that up!


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## Greenwick (Apr 25, 2013)

I've been so busy I've barely had time to think about Halloween, but I have done a bit!

Costume:
I'm hoping to get a picture of the coat I'm working on for my costume soon. It's a dark green military style jacket which I'm adding bright green knotwork designs to. I love making knotwork, and it should make the coat suitable for a number of other costumes (plus cool just for walking around town in.) It's too small, so I also have to see about getting a good sized piece of cloth from elsewhere to expand it - which I might get by trimming some off from the interior.

Poisonous plants book:
I haven't been able to start drawing it yet, but I have done a little research. Buttercups are amazingly dangerous for humans, apparently! 
I'm debating what kind of paper to use. I have a gorgeous green & white marbled card stock that I'm leaning towards. If I just use calligraphy pens & ink, I think it'll work.

Plant monsters:
I am still trying to find the time to learn the basics of 3D modeling, so no progress on this yet!

Food: I'm aiming for a variety of vegetarian & vegan foods, since that suits the variety of dietary needs of our guests (And fits the theme!) I have been half joking about 

- Fail chips: I accidentally picked up some bags of "kale sprouts" thinking they were going to be small tender leaves that might make better kale chips. The results looked worse than kale chips usually do, because the teeny tiny leave burnt quick once they actually started cooking. The result tasted similarly to pepperoni, though. I had made them for a party and brought out the disappointing result as a joke, but people actually ate and enjoyed them. I'm thinking I may try recreating these, but with larger leaves chopped finely. I got to start planning out the garden today. I'm going to try to maximize the leafy greens we can pick fresh right before the party.

- A hearty vegan stew: I'm also trying out ways to make hearty vegan soups. My next attempt will involve mushroom bullion, toasted sesame oil, and shortening. I'm thinking the shortening will make the sauce/broth taste more satisfying, like classic winter soups.

- Pectin jello brain mold: I just haven't gotten around to trying to make jello with pectin yet. I have some grape juice, so maybe I can try it with that. Lemon juice is possibly the better option, though.

- Bomb shaped cake balls: This idea just popped into my head this morning. Little black cake balls with either a fake 'wick' in the top, or a toothpick in the top with a cartoon explosion shape stuck on top. I may see if this can be done with Kentucky bourbon balls, because those are amazingly delicious, and I have a recipe already.

-Drinks: I haven't decided what drinks there should be. I'm thinking hot mulled cider, since that's a classic. Sparkling grape juice, of course - especially if that bizarre pumpkin spice sparkling grape juice comes around again. That was amazing!
I'm considering getting a few bottles of Bolthouse' Farms' "Green Goodness" drink. Tastes delicious, looks awful. I used to peel the wrapper off before sticking it in the fridge at work to ward off lunch thieves.

- Fruitcake: Yeah, it's a winter kind of thing, but I don't care. I'm going to try making some classic fruitcakes this year - the good kind, drenched in brandy. Since I learned that it takes very little alcohol to do them right, I'm very keen on trying.


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## pumpkinpie (Jul 9, 2011)

I had planned on ordering these a few years back for our zombie party (abandoned house) I think they would work great for your abandoned lab for sandwiches or whatever type of food u might settle on.


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## Greenwick (Apr 25, 2013)

I've seen a similar product before, Pumpkin Pie, but those look even better than the ones I remember! Thanks!


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## Greenwick (Apr 25, 2013)

I've decided not to pressure myself to learn enough about 3D modeling to make all the monstrous plant experimentsI want to have. So instead I'll be crafting those with other methods - like painting cut-outs, and using some of the puppet making skills we've already got. This way I can take my time learning to do good models, rather than freaking out. 

Microscope - I'm keeping an eye out for a cheap one, because I want an actual one as a prop. But I have found some interesting inexpensive DIY options, including this one that attaches to a smart phone - http://availabletechnologies.pnnl.gov/technology.asp?id=393
That might make a nifty parting gift, and could potentially be used for solving the story.

Lighting: Per my husband's suggestion, we're gonna mainly use glow sticks in water for lighting. I want to invest in some battery operated LEDs & 'tap lights.' Since the walkway will be covered, there will be minimal lights exposed to the elements.
okay, now to make a finalized list of the basics, then figure out my time/money budget. It's getting late!


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## offmymeds (May 26, 2010)

these are several "strange Plants" I made for a garden last year...and some butterflies














and my secret reaper sent me these


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## offmymeds (May 26, 2010)

and my secret reaper made me this one too


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## Greenwick (Apr 25, 2013)

Those look fantastic, Offmymeds! I may have to pick up some pre made foliage and play with it.


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## Ghost of Spookie (Sep 28, 2008)

Greenwick, just posted under the shopping thread about an Oriental Trading clearance item called Horror glasses (7.98 for doz). So thought of you with your theme. Not sure it's something that you would want to use if you are only doing an outdoor theme but the plasticware looks like _Little Shop of Horror'_s Audrey swallowing a plastic flute. OT has free ship for today only. Really cool item, bought some myself.

http://www.halloweenforum.com/gener...ween-mdse-sightings-stores-2.html#post1830112


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## Greenwick (Apr 25, 2013)

I just got ahold of this amazing pitcher for just $3.50. (Nothing wrong with it, either!)










I'm thinking I can either use it just to serve some kind of themed drink, or I can try to rig up a mister and some kind of glowing light to make it look appropriately dangerous. I'm also going to see if there are any other pieces related to this that I can hunt down.


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## Ghost of Spookie (Sep 28, 2008)

Man, is that a made-for-you piece or what!


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## Greenwick (Apr 25, 2013)

For sure! I saw it in the window and said, "If it's under $5, I'm getting it." I expected it'd be $20 or so, but nope! $3.50. So it must have been fated!


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## dawnski (Jun 16, 2012)

Someone in another thread had posted these monster plant drink glasses from Oriental Trading Co. Might work with your theme. http://www.orientaltrading.com/horror-glasses-a2-13659841.fltr?Ntt=glass


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## Ghost of Spookie (Sep 28, 2008)

dawnski said:


> Someone in another thread had posted these monster plant drink glasses from Oriental Trading Co. Might work with your theme. http://www.orientaltrading.com/horror-glasses-a2-13659841.fltr?Ntt=glass


And above, #23! …Couldn't help it. Just being playful, don't throw bones LOL, slow Sunday… They _are_ cool glasses and so fitting for this theme in the right set up. Since we are bringing them up again, and apparently still on sale (orig $20/doz.), here's the post from the OT 2016 thread with actual photos of them unboxed: http://www.halloweenforum.com/general-halloween/146438-2016-oriental-trading.html#post1831379


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## Greenwick (Apr 25, 2013)

They do look cool. I might use the design for inspiration to make something myself, though. 

Today I was finally able to work on a Halloween project - my costume.  Progress!


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## dawnski (Jun 16, 2012)

Doh! That's where I saw it!



Ghost of Spookie said:


> And above, #23! …Couldn't help it. Just being playful, don't throw bones LOL, slow Sunday… They _are_ cool glasses and so fitting for this theme in the right set up. Since we are bringing them up again, and apparently still on sale (orig $20/doz.), here's the post from the OT 2016 thread with actual photos of them unboxed: http://www.halloweenforum.com/general-halloween/146438-2016-oriental-trading.html#post1831379


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## Greenwick (Apr 25, 2013)

I'm getting so caught up in a million things that right now I'm feeling kind of dismayed about my Halloween plans. I haven't even had time to really sit down and do anything on them. I figure there is still time, and with a surgery coming up next month, I figure I'll have time to at least work on my poisons books - because drawing and computer things shouldn't be out of the picture. Everything else, I don't know about. And then there is so much stuff I want to do with the garden this year, and in general I've got a lot of things I'm trying to get on track. But I don't want to let Halloween slide again. Especially not in an election year, where everyone is usually pretty stressed out come October & November.

I've been home sick this whole week, and today's the first day I really have any mental energy to spend on anything. So I think I'm gonna log off, set a timer for an hour, and brainstorm. Whatever I come up with at the end of that hour is what I'm gonna get done.


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## Greenwick (Apr 25, 2013)

Okay, I've organized the categories of stuff I'm doing and when I'm gonna worry about them.

HAPPY: The bare minimum of stuff that, if I accomplish it, I'll be quite pleased. And I already have what I need for these!

My costume
Book of Poisonous Plants
Halloween quilt (It's all done except the actual quilting part!)
'Seed experiment' test tubes for parting gifts
Potion bottles/beakers/test tubes full of drink powders & flavor syrups. (I'm hoping to find some cool color changing ones!)

EXTRA HAPPY: Things that would be super cool to get done, but which I will be super stressed about doing because of time/budget constraints. So any progress on these is good progress.

Covered walk-way (At this point, if I can finalize plans, I'll be jazzed. Might have do it the opposite way, and see what materials .i can get before I plan.)
A steamy floral centerpiece (Probably involving fake vines, a big bowl, and one of those misters with lights.)
Hand-painted slides & microscope
Projector for movies - One that just involves and iPad. If this doesn't work, there is a TV now, but I'd have more fun projecting films.

MONTH OF: Things I will do after Sept 15th, because by then I should have everything else done, & this stuff will just be icing.

Silhouettes (monsters, creepy lab backdrops, comic book related stuff)
Paper cut outs (Ivy leaves, question marks, monsters, etc.)
Invitations & riddles/games/backstory for the event (This will be stuff my husband & I plan together, so it can happen whenever. Probably leaving it till last, though.)


FOOD: I'm gonna work on my food list tomorrow. But I have that set, I'm probably not gonna worry about that until the first of October.



This feels much more doable, and i'm glad to finally set this in stone.


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## Greenwick (Apr 25, 2013)

I've done sketches for two pages in my poisonous plants book - Aconite (Wolfs bane) and Rununculus (Buttercups). I'm undecided about whether I'll go with just pencil & watercolor, or if I want to outline everything with my shiny green ink. I'm leaning towards ink, but I worry the plants won't be recognizable without colors. Then again, plenty of guides involve just black & white. My calligraphy supplies & paints are at the workshop, so I'll have to wait till Tuesday to get to work on those. Hopefully I'll get more sketches done before then.

After a bit of supper and some more doodling, I'm taking out my coat & working on it. I have tomorrow as well. Feeling good about today!


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## xPUMPKiNxKiNGx (Jul 5, 2012)

Ooooh I'm excited for you!!! Looking forward to seeing pictures.


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## Greenwick (Apr 25, 2013)

I'm recovering from surgery, and this week is the first week I've been able to get back to work on anything regularly. My attention span is still very small, and I think I vastly underestimated how much I was going to be able to get done. On top of that, we are restructuring our business. x_x There are too many things to do! (On the plus side, things are looking up money-wise and the help we are getting in changing how we run our business & our focus will be so good! It's just a lot of work at a time when I'm not fully up to it.)

Despite all that, I have gotten some work done on my costume. My coat is turning out beautifully. I was hoping to get pictures today, but had to stay home due to dizziness. And I've got some crochet projects I need to get out of the way before I can work on the rest of it.

Right now I'm feeling like just planning on doing absolutely nothing for Halloween, but I am trying to keep in mind that I will not feel this tired forever. Also, since there is still six months to go, I think there's plenty of time to get to work on what I need to work on.

Oh, and I've been getting some good ideas by watching critiques of survival horror games. The problems I've seen in haunts seem to be the same kind that game designers run into - like putting a bunch of random stuff out without any story to give them any kind of meaning.


Yeah, this is basically just me trying to get my spirits up and my focus back while my brain has been turning to mush for weeks.


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## Greenwick (Apr 25, 2013)

My birthday is coming up, and I received an Amazon gift card. I've ordered a well reviewed green lipstick and am amazing looking $6 wig that has a ton of positive reviews. Originally had my eye on a much longer one, but read through the reviews recently and there were many complaints about how thin the cap is and the hair falls out.

Red wig 

Green lipstick


i've also decided I'm going to just go with sketches of plants and ink them in black. Then I can scan them, maybe turn them into coloring pages. That way I can also save them to use on my light box and ink/paint later. I feel good about this decision. Maybe I can work on a few pages today.


oh, and some awesome news! We may get to put on a locked room mystery at our local makerspace! My husband is considering whether we can do something unofficially themed after Arkham Asylum. Because why not!

i'm also hoping to do some science demonstrations with him dressed as a mad scientist. I could do the part too, but I much prefer being a creepy weird assistant.


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## Ghost of Spookie (Sep 28, 2008)

Glad your surgery is behind you and you are recuperating. It's understandable to be a bit frustrated losing time and energy due to illness...I find especially when the mind is capable but the rest may not be . I love the red wig and green lipstick. That's a great looking wig.


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## Greenwick (Apr 25, 2013)

Definitely, although in this case I'm still so scatterbrained that my mind isn't even capable. So mainly I've been making small notes for myself & dreaming. I was planning on having an art party today & working on my book, but now I'm too tired. But thankfully it's early in the evening, so maybe after a snack and kitty time, I'll be up to it.


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## Greenwick (Apr 25, 2013)

i had a rest day today, and had the chance to work on my coat for most of the day! One of my cats, Gremlin, 'helped' me for most of it. (Picture should be below in the attachments. I'm having some trouble editing it.)

It's almost done! I had originally planned to completely cover it with knotwork, but after getting some advice, decided to decorate the back more, and leave a simpler trim on the front. 

also spent the day watching Halloween documentaries. That's definitely helping improve my mood. Has also had me thinking of some other simple things I can do later on that shouldn't cost much.


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## Greenwick (Apr 25, 2013)

I have finished a major part of my coat design. Pictures of that are below. I'm hoping to get the rest of the embroidery done by Tuesday. After that it's on to designing the corset, and trying to remember how to make tights, and then figuring out shoes. The wig looks great, although definitely not the color that showed up in the listing. (Seemed to be a common problem in the comments.) It started getting messy as soon as I took it out of the bag, so no full costume pictures until I've found my old wig supplies.


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## Greenwick (Apr 25, 2013)

I've started work on some giant pumpkin leaves. I have an idea for some angry giant pumpkins or pumpkin blossoms on a vine.










I'm going to wrap the edges around wire, then sew around it. I've done that before and had it be very sturdy. Then I'll either embroider or draw on veins, depending on how much time there is. (Probably drawing.) After that, I'm hoping to rig something up with wire and dowel rods, so the vines can start taking over the house.


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## Ghost of Spookie (Sep 28, 2008)

Greenwick said:


> I have finished a major part of my coat design. Pictures of that are below. I'm hoping to get the rest of the embroidery done by Tuesday. After that it's on to designing the corset, and trying to remember how to make tights, and then figuring out shoes. The wig looks great, although definitely not the color that showed up in the listing. (Seemed to be a common problem in the comments.) It started getting messy as soon as I took it out of the bag, so no full costume pictures until I've found my old wig supplies.



That is super cool Greenwick! I love the design and the texture. Looks like super comfy material too. You are making tights? Did I read that correctly?! Sorry the wig wasn't exactly as pictured. Like is it ever? Our photos here seem to be more representative. Speaking of which, any chance for a photo of it laying out just to see the coloring? Thanks.


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## matrixmom (Oct 29, 2010)

Love that wig....everything coming out really fantastic.


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## Greenwick (Apr 25, 2013)

Ghost of Spookie said:


> That is super cool Greenwick! I love the design and the texture. Looks like super comfy material too. You are making tights? Did I read that correctly?! Sorry the wig wasn't exactly as pictured. Like is it ever? Our photos here seem to be more representative. Speaking of which, any chance for a photo of it laying out just to see the coloring? Thanks.


Thanks! It's made of wool, so a bit scratchy, but so very warm!

Yup, I'm going to be making tights. I made a pair once before for doing medieval reenactment. I made them out of fleece, so they were really easy to care for, and were very comfortable. They were pretty easy too. I might try making a simple pattern for them and posting it up when I get around to that part.

I'll see if I can get an accurate picture of the wig color. At first I thought the pictures other people had taken on Amazon were either done in different kinds of lighting, or else people had photoshopped it so they looked their best. But after poking through the reviews more, I think the company itself sends out different random wigs. I'm just glad that the color suits what I'm trying to do. I probably would have chosen this color myself if it had been available.


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## Greenwick (Apr 25, 2013)




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## Greenwick (Apr 25, 2013)

I apologize for all the pictures being sideways.

I've started working on braid designs for this wig. The main problem so far is that I haven't been able to work on it in one place, so I'll do some work, travel with it, then discovery a frizzy mess later. But it is very soft and nice to work with!


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## Greenwick (Apr 25, 2013)

I've almost finished the design for the wig. Had some problems with the wig cap showing under the braids, but I think I've fixed that. Then I need to scavenge some Bobby pins to pin it all in place.

Planning on working on the pumpkin leaves today. I haven't had much chance to work on things other than my costume, so I'm excited about that!


I've also ordered this very cheap glass air plant terrarium: https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B018I3QHZM/ref=oh_aui_detailpage_o00_s00?ie=UTF8&psc=1

I have two potential ideas for it. Either I will mod-podge some crêpe paper to the inside & use it to hold a glow-stick/battery operated votive candle, or I want to sculpt a monster air plant and put it inside. If the quality is good, I'll order a few more. At $3 each, it's affordable!


Edit: Turns out that I don't have enough wire for the pumpkin leaves, so that will have to wait till I can get more. I guess I will work on the wig/coat/etc and maybe see what other decor stuff I can work on this weekend. Kinda disappointed. :/


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## Greenwick (Apr 25, 2013)

I want to use lots of vines in my decorating if possible, but the fake ones get expensive. Since we have a backyard wide infestation of morning glory, I decided to harvest a vine, then test how well it dries. I was pleased with the result, so I grabbed a bunch more to dry today. If all goes well, my vine decorations will be free, and all for doing something my garden needs anyway. Plus, these can't be composted, since they would easily reinfect any compost it goes into.

The dry leaves look a bit fragile, but it should be fine. I should have enough that a few broken/missing leaves won't be noticed.


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## Greenwick (Apr 25, 2013)

Major change of plans incoming! After chatting with my husband about plans for party games, we realized that with the opportunity to set up an event at our local makerspace, we can't also plan out something for at home. We'll have a meeting tomorrow to organize our thoughts, then go about gathering a committee of volunteers (hopefully mainly artists) go make it happen.

I still want to do some minimal decorating, though, so I'll have to give that some thought. At the very least, if I get some glow sticks, I can arrange them in the wooded area I'm c,earing out blackberry bushes from, and have an eerie atmospheric walkthrough.


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## Greenwick (Apr 25, 2013)

Finalky finishes a month's long thing that was eating up tons of time and sleep. Yay! Since we finally had a good day off, my husband & I put on some Rob Zombie, and commenced to Halloween planning! Can't plan the major stuff just yet, since we have to wait to meet with the other people involved, so we decided instead to come up with a simple plan for decorating the house for a Halloween night-time tea party.

First, here is a center piece we're going to make. I originally had dreams of making super cool plant monsters, but couldn't come up with a feasible way of doing it, so here's the simple version: Construction paper & pipe cleaner plant monsters with puppet-style ping pong ball eyes. Oh yes, we are going to have some campiness here! Each will have its own name & care sheet, and guests will be invited to take one home.










Here's a sheet of scribbled plans from me. Still planning on those giant leaves once I get ahold of more sturdy wire. I'm undecided if those will go outside or inside. For science stuff, I'm going to see what all I can scrounge up. Probably lots of bottles with brightly colored water, flasks & vials. I want to make fake research notes, but I got way overambitious before, so I'm not going to set any goals for that now. Still hoping to get ahold of a microscope so I can make fake bacteria slides for people to look at.

Will be displaying some cool science themed transparencies, as well as hardcover books with new fake dustcovers. (One idea: "500 Ways To Defeat The Batman In Your Spare Time.") 











Costume stuff:

After much effort to come up with a neat style for my wig, I've decided to just go simple instead. Maybe a pony tail & single braid, or just leaving it plain as is.

i got fabric to use for the rest of the costume, but have had trouble deciding on what to do. After poking around at different incarnations of Ivy and some very cool steampunk outfits (Mainly the ones that use lots of different textures, patterns, & colors), I could not decide. So we did some brainstorming, and decided to go with something less sexy and more scientist based. (As a bonus, I'll be able to use the pieces of this outfit for everyday wear or to be incorporated into other costumes!)


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## Greenwick (Apr 25, 2013)

The costume design doesn't seem to have uploaded properly in the last post, so here it is again:










I'm planning on green with black stripes for the pants, which should be easy to make if I can't locate any fabric like that. It will also match the other fabric I want to put around the house. It's a simple thing, but I feel so much better going forward knowing I've got something that will help coordinate everything else. Going to keep that in mind for bigger stuff in the future. Settling on an easy color scheme (black & green) has made this easier too.

The best will have layers of leaves, probably applique. I've been doing a lot of embroidery on the coat, and it looks great, but applique will let me do lots more much quicker. I managed to snag some green wool felt that matches the coat almost exactly, so I can use that on the rest of the ouftit, and maybe have some left over for quick decorations.


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## Greenwick (Apr 25, 2013)

Outside: So my attempts to dry vines for indoor decor didn't work out. I think they have the right look, but are too fragile and impossible to do much with. My corn stalks have all pretty much dried up & died. They are short. I might just gather them up today to dry the rest of the way, then use them on the sides of the front door for decorations. Probably going to try hooking up some fairy lights using an adapter that adds outlets to light sockets. That will involve having to find an alternative for the porch light cover, since the socket adapter I have seems too big fir any light cover.

i'm thinking the front porch will have minimal stuff done to it. I might try paper silhouettes in the window. Nervous about putting any fun stuff in the front yard, since the landlord has literally mown down things I've put out.


The woodland trail I've been working on is going to be my main outdoor focus. Right now I'm just keeping it trimmed, but plan to cut more down when the weather cools a little. The trail has some dead ends that I want to finish looping back around to the main trail.

I tried to think of some scares I could put out there, but eventually concluded that I should keep it simple: A spooky walk in the woods. I'm saving clear jars with lids to put glowsticks in & line the trail with. Might carve some extra pumpkins with themed designs (Like question marks & quotes like "Riddle me this!"). Still toying with the idea of giant paper flower monsters in hidden alcoves. Maybe signs pointing the way to different places. Strongly considering some of those simple scary eye props made of toilet paper tubes & a light.


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## Greenwick (Apr 25, 2013)

I've just purchased this giant green glass gem - https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B003G90IEU/ref=od_aui_detailpages00?ie=UTF8&psc=1

it's one of those novelty paperweights you see at Michaels, but it was only $4 on Amazon. I'm going to make a stand for this, probably using a bit of velvet to cushion it.

had a meeting about Halloween plans for my local makerspace. I'm considering starting another thread for that once I've got pictures & plans to post. Very exciting, though, and I feel so much better about Halloween in general now!


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## Greenwick (Apr 25, 2013)

The woodland path is coming together. I've left some cool things, like the blackberry vines draped all around this tree, which I'm hoping will add some majestic creepyness.

A friend has offered to help me bulld a bunch of inexpensive LED glowing eyes which will just need batteries. Should work out to about $1 a piece. So now I just need to see how many I need. Other than that, I'm planning on lining the path with glass jars filled with glowsticks or small lights. I might make some quick & easy signs with cardboard & green acrylic paint. 

Will try and do a video walkthrough of the path tomorrow. I'm hoping folks here might have ideas for things I can put where.


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## Greenwick (Apr 25, 2013)

I've started turning some old costume pieces into a mantle cover. Pretty happy with it so far. I'm going for not quite perfect. Will be trying to add the rest today, so it stretches all the way across. I'm debating making the ends of it pointy.









After that, I've got pieces cut out for a tablecloth. It will be circular, so I may go with a flower shape.

Still waiting on wire for the pumpkin leaves. I think I'll use hot glue instead of sewing for these, since it'll be quicker. I accidentally ordered double, so rather than return the second one, I'll see what else I can manage.


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## Greenwick (Apr 25, 2013)

I've been too busy to make an update, but things are going very well now! I was able to attend a local convention called the Festival of the Macabre, and I'm feeling very into Halloween again! I've also started working on a costume & prop portfolio so that I can hopefully start participating in the local horror film scene. I don't have any real special 'in' right now, but having a direction to go in is awesome! I feel much more motivated & energetic now!

Anyway, Halloween is in full swing at my local Makerspace. My husband, a friend, myself, and some other volunteers are putting together a mad science lab stage. It's going well despite having a late start! And I'm also learning a lot, and getting great ideas for next year. I can't show pictures yet, but will after Monday.

I don't feel disappointed anymore in having to give up my original plans, and that feels like huge progress. It wouldn't have been much fun in the end because of all the stress.


Happy Haunting, everyone!
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## Greenwick (Apr 25, 2013)

Oh, and the path didn't work out. It's lush and private in summer with all the leaves, but much thinner in fall. Maybe I can do something with it during the warmer months next year, when I really start missing Halloween.


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## Greenwick (Apr 25, 2013)

Halloween this year was the biggest bust I remember.  Among other things, construction blocked off our sidewalk on all sides, so pedestrians couldn't get through - not that this mattered much because the group organizing downtown trick or treating didn't even provide a map showing what buisinesses were participating. It also rained most of the day. To top that off, a local organization put on a haunted house a little ways away from downtown, and apparently people who were downtown went to that instead.

I feel so depressed over this. I was finally hyped for Halloween and it didn't happen.


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