2012 Halloween in Miniature - Day 6, Hat's Off!

Welcome to Day 6 of the 2012 Halloween in Miniature party!

(Go back to Day 1 - Back: Day 5 - Next: Day 7)  

Step right up. The shop is ready... haunted? Well, no. The ghosts have been busy in other parts of the party, of course! (House by Tracy Topps (Minis on the Edge)

Today seems like a good day to stop by and see what new hats Kat the Hat Lady has available. After all, who doesn't enjoy sprucing up their wardrobe a bit, right?

Kat the Hat Lady can transform almost any fabric or material into fashionable chapeaux - be it real life or in miniature. She is actually a trained milliner and has made some of those crazy hats for the fashionable ladies going to the Royal Ascot horse races - see a story I wrote on her for a previous Halloween event.

Be it pretty, spooky or practical, Kat has probably made a suitable hat. And her brooms.... to fly for! haaa!

This is excellent news to Millicent who insists on only flying with the best! 

(Witches by Joyce McBride).

And you can't blame her for being extra careful, especially after what happened to.... Well, you know. The witches just dread mentioning her name... such a dreadful accident it was...

After that, they all have insisted on having their brooms inspected and  certified before every flight! haa!

As a miniature doll maker, Joyce McBride says she's "always been fascinated by the notion of goblins and trolls and other lesser known beings of folklore. Halloween is the perfect time to explore their stories and have some fun with it."

Joyce comes from a doll making tradition, having learned from her mother as a child. To her, the fun part is making them come alive. "Nearly all my dolls have a story. Most of the time the inspiration for a doll is the story which comes first."

"My favorite here is probably Aunt Elizbet (Pic #8). Her story: "For years she dragged Uncle Bob to all the social gatherings. He never had much to say..." (The real Elizbet was my brother-in-law's aunt who never missed a family get together or community event. She insisted her poor husband go along, even after his health began to fail.)

Joyce says, "most of the dolls pictured are 12th scale miniatures. I've included a few ghosts and other beings that go bump in the night. It wouldn't be Halloween with out them!"

(At least one thing about ghosts... they don't need to eat. haa! More for us!)

ooh.... speaking of food,, did you see Kiva Atkinson's fortune cookies? C'mon open one... what's your fortune? Hope it's a good one!

Hey, only one per person. Sorry, only the first fortune counts! Be sure to come back for the final party tomorrow!  Next: Day 7

(Christine Verstraete - http://candidcanine.blogspot.com)


* TODAY'S SPOOKY READS: LONNIE, ME AND THE HOUND OF HELL - Marian Allen  
GHOSTS ON THE SQUARE AND ELSEWHERE - Southern Indiana Writers

Short stories of animals and oddities. A man's best friend believes he's called the devil's own dog. A little girl is terrorized, with only two little mice to help her. A vampire is sent to clean up a crooked horse race. A gay cat puts his paws on the line to save a friend from aliens. Ten stories included, some never before published.

Lonnie, Me and the Hound of Hell - Balance of Power
Mr. Farrell - The Damned Place Was Full Of Crocodiles
Dog Star -A Devouring Passion
Seeking Shadow -High Stakes
Sledgehammer - Mr. Sugar vs the Martians

History and haunting seems to go hand-in-hand and Corydon,as the first state capital of Indiana, has a heaping helping of both. Ghosts: On the Square . . . and Elsewhere . . . . is a collection of ghostly tales inspired by locations around the historic town square and other locations throughout Harrison County. Ghosts and history....how can you beat that?

2012 Halloween in Miniature Day 5 - Welcome to Frank's Place

Welcome to Day 5 of the 2012 Halloween in Miniature party! If you haven't, check in at Day 1.



 Today, we have a special treat. What would Halloween be without monsters? I refer to the classic of all things that haunts our dreams at night, the Frankenstein monster.

Written by Mary Shelley anonymously in 1818 and then published under her own name in France in 1823, the novel, FRANKENSTEIN, was a look at science gone wrong, barriers crossed, the blurring of life and death. With the release of the classic horror film in 1931, the face of the monster was brought to life (and into our nightmares) forever after as played by Boris Karloff.

This scene of horror, the lab in which Dr. Victor Frankenstein worked on his hideous creation, was recently recreated in miniature by Debbie McGrath, (Debbie's Mini Thoughts and Creations).... Today, we visit the lab, which Debbie has called FRANK'S PLACE...

Debbie, who has been working in miniatures for eight years, usually did shabby chic creations, until she found this miniature body on a gurney. But what to make? "It had sat on my shelf, just looking at me and one day I had a light bulb moment, Halloween was coming up," she recalls. 

"At first I was going to do a morgue -  I could tell some very funny stories about that, I was a nurse for over 33 years and we have a wicked sense of humor - anyway after looking around the web for a while I came across and old clip of Frankenstein and I thought that's it! Frank's Place was born. As I wanted to make it different to what others had done I decided to put a modern twist on it, I got pictures of equipment that had been used in the film. I studied these, I made little drawings of what I thought I could recreate, I used the inside of an old tower from my son's old computer, plus anything I could find in my trash box."

And as all miniaturists know, this is what you save all that stuff for...

Debbie made the machines from bits and pieces that looked like the parts of the machine she wanted to create. "I would just keep adding bits till I was satisfied with the look of it," she explains. "One of the greatest finds from the computer was the little tubular batteries that are in there. Once the plastic coating is taken off you have fantastic containers. These were used for the bottles, I just had to add labels."

And that electric chair added later? Well.... "Now comes the confession, I had been reading 'Fifty Shades of Grey' (thought it was terrible, no real story line and full of sex) but read them all to see if it got any better, (it didn't.)  Anyway they had spoke about his playroom!!!! and I thought of the electric chair...." (ha!)

 The hardest to make, she says, was the power board since she had to match all buttons with the wires (and yes they do press down.) All are connected to the motherboard (from a computer.)

Tip: How to make a machine:

First get a picture of what you want to make, try to get as many pictures as you can from all angles, then starting form the base up, look through any bits that you may have and start to construct it. If it is a box shape I would suggest you make the shape with balsa wood, (this wood is very good as you can file it very easy into shapes.) Paint it either black or metallic silver, then add bits.

 ** Sweet Dreams!  Come back tomorrow and see what's up... Back: Day 4 - Next: Day 6 **

  ** Today's Spooky Read: 

What else but a book on Frankenstein...

MONSTER by Dave Zeltserman, is a new take on the classic. Friedrich Hoffman, the so-called monster, recounts how he was falsely accused of killing his beloved fiancee, tortured and killed for his 'crime', and awoke on the lab table of Victor Frankenstein - a man with all manner of gruesome plans. We see inside his mind as he embarks on a single-minded quest for vengeance; but at what cost to the remnants of his humanity? Intense and Gothic, Monster conjures up nineteenth-century Europe in a blaze of depravity, excess and the supernatural, an ingenious tribute to one of literature's greatest works.

( - Christine Verstraete - http://candidcanine.blogspot.com)

2012 Halloween in Miniature Day 4 - A field trip....

Welcome to DAY 4 of the fantastic 2012 Halloween in Miniature Party. Got your ticket? No? Well, be sure to check in at Day 1.

Today seemed like a good day to show the guests around some of our facility. The party is located on sprawling acreage with everything we need right at hand since, well, some things do require a bit of privacy. Don't want our secrets getting into the wrong hands now...

Since everyone is busy, I've asked the lovely Sephora (by Dana of Miniature Art - check out her busy MiniDoll List) to escort the group. She said she'd be glad to, and maybe she'll even share some of her spellcasting advice. But don't worry, she's a good witch.

She said a must-see place is the amazing 3 Moons Potion Shop where you can get just about anything, from those funny red mushrooms (careful cooking those!), to wonderful bottles of every kind of potion made by proprietress Victoria (of DarkSquirrel Miniatures. -- Did you see the amazing Zombie Away bottle she's giving away as a prize? Be sure to enter on Day 1 (link at top.)

My, what a selection! You can surely spend a bit of time browsing the shelves and bins here!

Oh, and look at the spells and manuscripts. I bet Harry Potter would love this place!

Some of the guests brought their shopping list, I see. 

Oh, look it's the It family. And they have the Baby with! Isn't he/she (well, it is hard to tell...) adorable?

(The Its are by Kat Hazelton (Kat the Hat Lady). I think we'll visit her hat shop next. She has some lovely new additions to her millinery line, I hear.

Oops, what's that growl? No, the guard dog is at the house yet. Must be someone's stomach. Better serve some snacks before we go.




Mmmm, smell that? Peppers, anchovies, mushrooms, oh my! Cook brought over some just-made eyeball pizzas. Yum, nice and crunchy and hot!  (Pizzas by Kiva Atkinson, Kiva's Miniatures.)

All right, we better get back to the house. Drinks and dessert are being served in the parlor. (Don't you just love what Linda's done with the place? The decor is fantastic and I hear all the portraits come to life at night.. (One of the guests reported seeing an eerie glow and ran back to their room last night! Room and portraits, Linda Wooten, Wooten's Miniatures.)

Okay, everyone rest up for our tour tomorrow. See you then!

** Back to Day 3 --- Next: Day 5 **

-- Christine Verstraete - http://candidcanine.blogspot.com

   ** Today's Spooky Read:  PAVLOV'S DOGS - DL Snell, Thom Brannan

Werewolves-- Zombies -- Armageddon...

Dr. Crispin has engineered the saviors of mankind: Pavlov’s Dogs, a team of soldiers capable of transforming into fearsome beasts. But when Crispin and his team welcome a new talented neurotechnician to the island, Dr. Crispin quickly realizes his masterwork has fallen into the hands of a man he does not trust. Should they send the Dogs out into the zombie apocalypse to rescue survivors? Or should they listen to the new neurotechnician, who would have them hoard their resources and post the Dogs as island guards?

2012 Halloween in Miniature Day 3 - Meet the Guests

Welcome to Day 3 of the 2012 Halloween in Miniature party! If you missed the check-in, go to Day 1.

First off, we wanted to offer our overnight guests (and the perpetually hungry like those zombies!), a good breakfast. Cook whipped up a tasty selection of Kiva Atkinson's bacon and pancakes. (Awww, look how they're grinning back! Grrr!). Oh, and would you like some bread and butter? Toasted or not?

Now if you've had your fill, shall we go into the parlor and meet some of the guests? My, don't you just LOVE what Linda Wooten (Wooten's Miniatures) has done with the place? Such a delightfully spooky decor! Perfect!

Shh! Don't disturb Uncle Ed sitting in the corner. He's been waiting sooooo long for the party to start, that well, he just pined away! haaaa! Okay, okay, shall we move on?

Have you met our hostess? Do say hello to....

Oh, dear, I'm so sorry. Mrs. de la Morte (Linda Wooten) has been so heartbroken ever since her beloved was lost at sea. We had so hoped she would have come to her senses, but she continues to look for him and refuses to change out of her wedding gown. Such a sad story....

Maybe we shouldn't disturb her. Why, there's Margarete Medusa (Julie Campbell). No, wait, don't! Ooops! I forgot to mention that if you saw her, whatever you do, do NOT look directly at her face. Sorry, we cannot be responsible for what happens after that....

All right, let's move on. Say hello to Uncle Ulysses.

Lovely old man (Woopitydooart). He's been hanging around the house for centuries and certainly has tons of tales to share. Loves to talk, that guy, but let me warn you, his jokes are a little, shall we say, er, stale?

He chuckles and asks, did you hear these?

What did one casket say to the other casket?
"Is that you coffin?"

Who did Dracula bring to the prom?
His ghoul friend. (Jokes, Squigly's Playhouse)

All right, ready for another snack or a drink?

Kathy Obrenski (Wee Little West) was kind enough to give cook her recipe for Halloween bone treats with some stew. Mmm, nice and crunchy. Tasty, too.

Having fun?

The Artisans:

* Pancakes, breads, Kiva's Miniatures
* Parlor, ghostly bride, Linda Wooten, Wooten's Miniatures
* Medusa, Julie Campbell Doll Artist
* Ghostly man, Patty Benedict, Woopitydooart
*  Bones and stew, Kathy Obrenski, Wee Little West

  ** Today's Spooky Read:  - THE KILLER WORE CRANBERRY, A SECOND HELPING

A killer Thanksgiving mystery anthology to die for from Untreed Reads, with stories by: Arthur C. Carey, John Weagly, Earl Staggs, Amanda Lundberg, Betsy Bitner, S. Furlong-Bolliger, Steve Shrott, Andrew MacRae, Zoe Burke, Arlen Blumhagen, Lesley A. Diehl, Gail Farrelly, Herschel Cozine, Linda S. Reilly, Stephen D. Rogers, Barb Goffman and Laura Hartman. (It's not really spooky - unless you're haunted by holidays past.... here's the solution!)



** Don't forget the contest on Day 1. (ends 12/31)  -- Back to Day 2 -- Next: Day 4

(-- Christine Verstraete - http://candidcanine.blogspot.com)

2012 Halloween in Miniature Day 2 - Let's Party!

Thanks for stopping by for the 2012 Halloween in Miniature party. Got a ticket? If not, sorry, you have to go back to Day 1 and check in.

Welcome to the party! Cook has been slaving over a hot stove all day to bring you...

Uh-oh. What's that scream? One second, I better check the kitchen.

Oh, dear. Cook's having, er, a bit of a problem, it seems. One of the pet rats has escaped! (Doll by Julie Campbell Doll Artist.)

Sorry, about that. Now, as I was saying Cook has plenty to eat, so grab a snack and let's mingle!

The Menu

Cook has outdone herself, and I hear, has brought in some special "celebrity" chefs to make this year's party even better. So be sure to bring your appetite!!!

We have plenty of sweets and goodies, but I'd suggest starting with something a bit more, um, substantial. Kiva Atkinson made a divine Eyeball Stew - fresh. Heh-heh.  Don't forget the bread, too, though that bread man doesn't look like he can be trusted? (Bread man - "Dibbler," Julie Campbell Doll Artist)

Wow! Chef Kathy Obrenski (Wee Little West) has outdone herself with her sweets table. Mmm, cupcakes and pumpkins and cider, oh my!

Or how about a slice of Kathy's Halloween pumpkin pie and cake?

Oh, shhh! It's time to get the kids to bed before we continue. They so want to stay up but, well, it is getting late. (Woopitydooart)

Now don't fill up as there is much more food to sample!

About the artisans:

** UK doll artist Julie Campbell has been making miniatures for 13 years and doll making for 10 of those. Her original, one-inch (1/12th) scale dolls are hand-sculpted from polymer clay without molds.

What keeps her inspired? She says, "I have had a head full of fairy tales all of my life and so am never short of inspiration!"

* Patty Benedict (Woopitydooart)admittedly is one of my favorite artists. Her works never fail to amaze. See more pix and more about her at a previous post.

** Not only is Kathy Obrenski's miniature food inspiring, but she herself is an inspiration to those facing adversity, health issues and other problems. In 2007, Kathy suffered a debilitating stroke which robbed her of most her functional and artistic skills. It took her ability to read, write, comprehend or communicate.

Miniatures, her husband Tim shares, became her occupational therapy. "She spent endless weeks re-learning how to make miniatures," he wrote. "It was like occupational therapy. She taught herself from scratch how to make miniatures all over again. To do that, she would make the same item dozens of times until it was perfect (that was a lot of clay in the garbage!) Then she would start making another item, making dozens over and over."

He continues to handle her communications by computer, but to the delight of her fans, her miniatures are again all her own!
-----------

** TODAY'S SPOOKY READ:
 A HAUNTING IN LOTTAWATAH - Evelyn David

The fifth book in the Brianna Sullivan Mysteries ebook series, the novella continues the spooky, yet funny saga of psychic Brianna Sullivan. She planned to travel the country in her motor home looking for adventure, but unexpectedly ended up in a small town in Oklahoma. In A Haunting in Lottawatah, Brianna is hired to exorcise ghosts from a mansion. But these spirits defy all the rules - a murder confuses the plan; Leon the bulldog continues to run interference as long as he has his beef jerky, and Deputy Cooper Jackson has competition for Brianna's affections. A Haunting in Lottawatah is a "must read" for mystery lovers and aspiring ghost hunters!

***   Let's continue the party! Go to Day 3 **

(- Christine Verstraete - http://candidcanine.blogspot.com)

1. 
   

Welcome to the 2012 Halloween in Miniature!

It's that Time of Year! Yes, it's the start to the 2012 Halloween in Miniature. Spooks, ghouls, witches, oh my! All in delightful dollhouse miniature size, of course. (Unless noted, all miniatures are in 1-inch, 1/12th scale, 1" equals 1 foot.)

While the tour is a little bit shorter this year since the author has quite a few writing projects to keep her busy this time around, the quality is still top-notch.

So strap on your witchy shoes, get your broom or other transportation and come along for a fun Halloween Celebration!

And we have some fun bonuses this year!!! 1. Each day will include a spooky read for your Halloween reading list. 2. This year we also have several prizes! Simply follow the entry rules at the end of this post to participate. Have fun!

Let's go in, shall we? It looks like they've really done a great job of decorating this year! (Haunted house by Linda Wooten, Wooten Miniatures.)

Oh, honestly! Now Matilda, we've told you again and again, no butting in front of the line - and please use the door the right way!

So, let's go in.... Please everyone - stop fighting in the back. No pushing! Got your tickets?  Okay then, first stop, let's have some refreshments.

Yeah, yeah, we still have the house wine.

No, it's not stale. It's been brewed to last for a gazillion years, and still have quite the kick. heh-heh.

Well, since it's really not wise to drink on an empty stomach, the delightful and talented Kiva Atkinson has provided some delectables to nibble on. How about some Chocolate cookies.... What? No, don't worry about them looking at you.

Here's looking at you, kid!

Okay-okay, how about some cupcakes instead? The food here sometimes is a bit "different" but it's still to-die-for! Get it? haa! (Sorry, but my blog, so you have to put up with my bad puns. :>)

The Artisans: 

* Kiva Atkinson, one of my fave food artists, has been making miniatures for approximately seven to eight years. No surprise what her favorite is, she says: "That's a tough one. Fish is definitely up there, but funny you should ask, because Halloween is when the juices really get flowing. The imagination goes into overdrive! I'm always inspired by the many cooking shows I watch, and just being out and about and observing (and eating!)."

* Patty Benedict, WoopityDooArt, another of my favorite mini artists, is known for her fantastic ghost figures and her fun, creepy mini brooms. You'll see more of her work in the coming days.

* Linda Wooten (Wooten Miniatures) has been creating minis since 2006 but says it's been a life-long love.  "I've loved miniatures my whole life since I was a little girl and my dad made me my first dollhouse out of scrap wood laying around the garage."

Halloween is a favorite and Linda says she "really gets into the spirit every year." (Groan!) The haunted house came about when she and her twin boys were watching Disney's Haunted House and they wanted her to make one. Halloween was four weeks ago so she made a smaller house than she would've liked but everyone was happy with the results - with one exception. "The only thing that really freaked them out was the ghoul coming out of the door," she says. "Since I had the dollhouse sitting on the dining room table, they made me cover up the ghoul while they were eating. And believe it or not, the ghoul was their idea!"

(Photos: clock, Patty Benedict, WoopityDooArt; wine, C. Verstraete; - all items and photos (c) 2012 by their creators)

** Today's Spooky Read:  On each day, visitors can pick up a few new books to read, which I'm linking at the end of each post... So I am pleased to share that they are clamoring, biting, clawing and slobbering all over to get the upcoming GIRL Z: MY LIFE AS A TEENAGE ZOMBIE by C.A. Verstraete. It's a YA zombie tale with a little romance, humor, a bit of zombie gore and a few twists. Coming in 2013! Click link for details! Watch the website and Facebook for updates and the cover!

** Come back each day for the rest of the party! Now on to Day 2... **

(Christine Verstraete - http://candidcanine.blogspot.com)

THE PRIZES

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Welcome to the Coffin Hop for Halloween - ghouls, witches, zombies, oh my!

Welcome to The Coffin Hop! Follow the links for some great Halloween reads, prizes, giveaways, and more, including a free preview copy of COFFIN HOP: DEATH BY DRIVE-IN.

And... don't forget to come back here Weds. 10/25 for the start of my giveaway and my annual event, the 2012 Halloween in Miniature Party!

What's coming!! More zombies - with a twist! Coming in 2013: my YA novel, GIRL Z: My Life as a Teenage Zombie  (Be sure to follow the blog and check my website for news and the cover reveal in the months ahead... -  Follow the GIRL Z page on Facebook.) - Keep reading for the synopsis, today's post and details on my "zombie lite" short story.

Life can suck when you're sixteen. It can suck even worse when you're not- quite- dead.

Sixteen-year-old Rebecca Herrera Hayes faces every teenager's biggest nightmares: bad skin, bad hair, and worse . . . turning into one of the living dead.


Becca's life changes forever when her cousin Spence comes back to their small Wisconsin town carrying a deadly secret—he's becoming a zombie, a fate he shares with her through an accidental scratch.

The Z infection, however, has mutated, affecting younger persons like her, or those treated early enough, differently. Now she must cope with weird physical changes and habits no girl wants to be noticed for. Then she meets Gabe, a good-looking part-Z like her and fears falling for him. After all, how can he, who shows hardly any Z symptoms, be interested in someone like her?

But time is running out... Becca needs his help as she and her cousin Carm search for their missing mothers and fight off hungry Zs.
Most of all, she needs to find something, anything, to stop this deadly transformation before it is forever too late...

Why do we love getting scared? 

I love Halloween! It's a great time to let your hair down and let your "inner ghoul" out. haa!

Ever since I can remember I've loved the scare that comes from a spooky book or movie. I still haven't forgotten the creepiness of Edgar Allen Poe's Telltale Heart (book and movie), or the way I jumped when the dog moved and scared me while I was at the end of Stephen King's book, Pet Sematary. 

Non-horror fans often say that real life is scary enough. True. But most fictional horror presents a probably-can't-or won't-happen scare - the zombies coming after you - the witch turning you into a horrid monster - the thing that grabs at you from under the bed, or out of the closet. 

It's letting your imagination take you places you never expected  - or would ever, ever want - to go. Unlike the real life horrors out there, this is a "healthy" scare, if you will. It's like walking into a haunted house and the heart-building apprehension building of what's around the corner. In fact, it's probably a great tension reliever. Real life scares are usually never funny. At least with fiction or a good movie, you can get scared, and then laugh about it.

  * I call my short story THE KILLER VALENTINE BALL "horror lite," it's zombies with a twist and a dash of humor....Every girl dreams of going to a "Killer Valentine Ball"... For Jess, it becomes a night she'll never forget...