by admin | Oct 21, 2011 | Village Scapes
A lone skeleton fishes from Dead Creek Mill
Orange, purple and green lights flicker every year in Halloween town as windows from Haunted Mansions and crypts invite visitors to stop in and see what visual treats await each season. It’s been said by Department 56 village collectors that the buildings and accessories you collect become a monster themselves as they proceed to take over the house.
Building new village scenes is something I’ve yet to tire of, even if it does take about three weeks to prepare the scenes. One of the most rewarding aspects is making the setting around buildings come to life with added accessories, many of which can be found objects.
For example, last year I used asparagus sprigs for realistic grass, and river stones to resemble boulders around my train station. I think the best results for this town were the Rickety Railroad Station and platform. I placed a Lemax building called Dry Gulch Hotel near the station, and I expanded on this scene with other desert or western pieces like a trio of zombie ladies, a haunted stagecoach and a coffin-shaped outhouse.
Next is a more somber scene with several new, more gothic pieces from Department 56, like Walter & Larry’s Crypt, which was inspired by artist Travis Louie. I cut a rough path in the styrofoam and dabbed gray and black paint. Next, I added some black sand to resemble dirt at the crypt entrance. Wilhelmina & Lucille, an accessory that complements this crypt, was placed at the path’s end as she makes her way down the path. I added some lichen and new items from the Forgotten Garden collection, including a pumpkin sticking its tongue out amid wilted blossoms, a skull covered in vines and a skeleton hand digging out of the earth and holding a single rose.
Vomiting pumpkins seemed like Department 56’s theme this year. An outstanding new piece is the Retching Pumpkin Diner, billed as a “very seedy cafe.” The pumpkin on top of the diner vomits a stream of orange flesh and pumpkin seeds. This effect is illuminated when the lights are off and the vomit glows an otherworldly orange. Trash cans with glowering green eyes peek out from their silver cans in the parking lot.
A spirit chases a trick-or-treater dressed as a pirate on the outskirts of town near a lake that is overlooked by a trailer, Lot 13, Crystal Lake. Department 56 selected this name for the purple-lighted spooky mobile home from the movie Friday the 13th.
The scene that created the most buzz from fellow villagers at Building New Worlds was the Dead Creek Mill and Deep Woods Haunt. One house is the sort you might see in Hansel & Gretel. Gnarled black branches scrape the weathered black roof as a gristly older gent and his bony dog make their way over Creepy Creek Bridge.
At the end of this bridge is a toxic green swamp with Dead Creek Mill at its center. A skeleton hangs his fishing pole over the green slime as the mill wheel turns and splashes green light across the craggy rocks and warning signs to stay out. Although October is nearing its end, I will probably keep these up a little longer. But part of the satisfaction of putting them away for another year is the opportunity to create new worlds in the next.
Feel free to share ideas about your own village. I’d love to hear any tips or tricks you have learned.
A witch flies over Creepy Creek Bridge
Rickety Railroad train winds its way through a sharp turn
This pumpkin loses his lunch at Retching Pumpkin Diner
A full moon guides trick-or-treaters visiting Grimsly Manor
Red lights show the crypt path
by admin | Oct 9, 2011 | Haunted Attractions
Raycliff Manor still possesses a presence, even in full sunlight
The entrance to Raycliff Manor is overgrown with ivy
Raycliff Manor is an attraction with bite
Raycliff Manor
4706 Gateway Drive, Joplin MO
www.raycliffmanor.com
The rustling of overgrown weeds and ivy were the only sounds I could hear when I approached Raycliff Manor. This was in the middle of the day, with no other souls around. I wanted to see the haunted house attraction without the crowds and ghouls who would come alive at 7 p.m on the grounds of this Joplin area haunt.
I felt drawn to the gothic building, and I had heard that while it promotes its share of typical spook house staples, (an evil clown, a chainsaw wielding psycho) visitors would also interact with Victorian-inspired actors who would invite you into their parlor of terror.
Gothic elegance mixed with horror was the vibe I felt while waiting in line with other guests on Oct. 8. A grave but cordial butler invited us in, and while waiting, we were treated to a group of lenticular portraits of victims whose fears were trapped by Dr. Raycliff himself.
A Victorian lady describes some of her family members until you are whisked away into the mansion’s many rooms filled with new disturbances. I don’t want to ruin the surprises around each corner, so I’ll just mention a couple of my favorite areas.
The kitchen/dining rooms were disgusting and realistic. Gobs of brown goo seemed to drip off countertops and dishes stacked in filthy water, while a stream of “blood” ran from the faucet. A morbid buffet was served, along with a severed head on a silver platter. Another favorite room was Dr. Raycliff’s library, which was outfitted with musty tomes and a frightful character.
The actors will not touch you, but they are excellent at coming just close enough to invade your personal space. I even felt the hot breath from one gust into my face as he popped out from an unseen opening in the wall!
This October evening seemed to offer perfect conditions for exploring. The moon was shining down on visitors lined up to enter the mansion and Carriage House. Some traditional songs played during the waits like Thriller and Monster Mash, as well as some songs from Midnight Syndicate, a purveyor of Halloween and horror music. I did hear some people complain about pop music being played in with these songs, which seemed to diminish the haunting effect.
I prefer the manor over the carriage house, but it’s worth seeing if it’s your first visit. A real spider outlined in light from a red bulb dangled from the eves of the carriage house beams, which created a gruesome effect.
Once inside the carriage house, Professor Walter Widget shows you a machine that measures fear and is meant to extract some of your own. Rooms are like a black maze, so guests are given a glow stick as their one defense.
Raycliff Manor has a solid storyline going. It will be interesting to see how new tales unfold in years to come.
by admin | Oct 3, 2011 | Dreadful Decor
Don’t you love it when it takes someone awhile to spy a new piece you have added to your home? You wait for them to notice, hoping they do, and you are pleased that it caught their eye unexpectedly, and delighted them. That element of surprise is what I was aiming for this Halloween.
I have read several magazine spreads that encourage you to think outside the box and place objects in spots normally not reserved for props. For instance, one article I read suggested placing a life-size skeleton in the bathtub or behind a shower curtain. I can just image someone jumping at the sight of a bony bather!
Some objects “planted” throughout the house included dangling sequin spiders, a “haunted” book that produces sound effects when opened, several small ornaments, and two life-sized pieces — a witch holding a gray rat by his tail and a grim reaper clutching his lighted lantern.
Spiders dangle off a mirror
This Hocus Pocus book and witch make a charming pair
The spiders and book fit perfectly on a dresser. I placed the spiders over the mirror and left them draped over the edge. The book was placed casually on the dresser top. I added just this one tome with Hocus Pocus written on its spine to ensure that it stood out, rather than shelving it alongside other volumes where it might get lost in the shadows of a bookcase.
Miniature and gem-size ornaments adorn a metal haunted house backdrop and gnarled black tree. I liked the idea of placing all the smaller ornaments together to create unity.
I found some outstanding candle holders this year. One is three hanging pumpkins for tea lights. I placed this alongside a figurine of a raven sitting on top of a pumpkin.
A skull and bony hand tart burner added a gruesome glow to a table covered with a red tablecloth and adorned with a dandy owl with pinstriped breast and a purple top hat.
The two life-sized props, a witch and grim reaper, might have been made to hang or stand watch at the front door, but I decided to invite them into the living (or should I say dead) room. The reaper sits in a blue chair, and the witch is placed on top of a black stove. This placement creates a unique perspective for guests, as the reaper figure is level with them in a chair, and she is looming over the whole room, looking down on visitors.
Overall, I think this decorating scheme will please the eye and create more than a few lingering glances from anyone who absorbs their surroundings.
I’d love to hear your decorating ideas. Leave comments below to share your own tips or tricks.
This witch sees all from her lofty perspective
Miniature ornaments are at home on smaller displays
Grim guest
Pumpkins lights showcase a lone raven
A coffin lights this dark corner
