haunted reverb

2010 Haunt: Cemetery Gates

Bonnie — Tue, 02 Nov 2010 00:54:23 +0000

Had a great party for our little bunch on Saturday. We spent most of our time on the small front yard cemetery and the flickering candles. The best was when everyone was meandering through the cemetery and checking out the stones.

Here are a few pics of decor and party people: Public Facebook Album

Food: Stuffed Jalapenos, Chicken Flautas, Tomatillo Ranch Dip, Pinwheels, Lil Smokies in a tangy mustard-based BBQ sauce, Kettle-cooked chips, peach cobbler, brownie trifle.
Drinks: Pre-mixed Rum Runners, white wine sangria, blackberry merlot

Thoughts on 2011: We never really decorate the kitchen, but inevitably, everyone ends up in there. It’s a small kitchen, too! There were 10 people packed in the tiny room at one point. Crazy people. Perhaps next year we’ll put ALL our effort into decorating the kitchen ONLY so people will stand around in some other room

Our friends love the party so much they were already thinking of themes for next year. These were the ideas that came out of that conversation: Great Gatsby, all black light party, and my personal favorite… People of Wal-Mart! Oh my.

Until 2011…

Getting in the Cemetery Spirit of Things

Bonnie — Sun, 24 Oct 2010 14:52:55 +0000

Stopped by a couple local cemeteries yesterday and took some photos. My plan is to print them and replace any framed images in the house with these. I did a little playing around with them to make them more interesting.

: This one is only about 30 years old, but looks much older.

: The only one I got out of the car to take.

: Obelisk

: Marie Anne Helwig

: Jimmie

Bloody Table!

Bonnie — Sat, 23 Oct 2010 16:20:49 +0000

Uh, I just want one. Wow.

Halloween Cookies

Bonnie — Sat, 23 Oct 2010 00:17:08 +0000

Been mildly obsessed with Halloween cookies lately. Thought I’d post some that I found nice.

: Love me some polka dots!

Perhaps some un-dead gingerbread men?

Bones

Gourmet Eyeball Cookies

: Spider web cookies w/ a clear, isomalt center!

I’m thinking of doing a simple dipped oreo for my party. Boring, yes, but I think I might dip them in white chocolate, dyed red, of course.

Invitations: Mine & Others

Bonnie — Sat, 09 Oct 2010 18:02:39 +0000

I agonized over the invites entirely too long. First it was going to be individual foam tombstones. Then it was going to be cardstock coffins, then it was going to be a gate-folded card with elaborate cut-outs… This was just easiest. I had to find a font that didn’t make it look pirate-y, but I think it turned out alright. It’s resume paper with burned edges. About 4″x6″.

2010 Bonnie Haunt Invites

Here are some other awesome invites I’ve seen lately:

Charisma's 2008 X-ray Invites

Awesome Tombstone Invite

: 2009 Universal Studios Horror Nights Media Invite/Teaser

: Edible Reminder Finger in Take-Out Box. She even posted the recipe for the cookie!

: Creature Survival Kit – Click the photo for a Q&A on how she made these… so awesome.

So many creative people out there!

Mood Lighting: Lanterns & Candles

Bonnie — Fri, 01 Oct 2010 02:14:24 +0000

I finished the second of my lanterns. This one was much more painstaking, so I don’t know that I’ll make another like it. Gave it a copper finish. Here it is:

And I came across LED tealights 2/$1 so I bought four packs and my wonderful parents picked me up a 6-pack as well. Still need another handful to complete ALL these crazy candles.

Bonus: Mini-Tombstones… will these become invitations? Buffet card holders? Hmm…

* * *

Foam Board Lantern

Bonnie — Sun, 26 Sep 2010 02:35:21 +0000

Based REALLY, REALLY loosely on Dave Lowe’s O’Treaty Lantern [ http://davelowe.blogspot.com/2010/09/otreatys-foamcore-lantern-part-one.html ] with one of my faux candles inside, this is a down and dirty attempt at a foam board lantern. The top is Velcro’d on so I can easily turn the LED tea light off/on. I may try a more elaborate top on the next one, more like Dave’s, maybe. Not bad for taking less than 2 hours from start to finish! Like the candles, it will only get better with each iteration.

Lantern-Making Time!

Bonnie — Sat, 18 Sep 2010 16:17:51 +0000

Foamcore Lantern by Dave Lowe

DUH — foam… The answer to most prop-lems! Dave Lowe has a three-part blog post on an awesome foamcore lantern.

I’ve been searching garage sales and eBay for a lantern I could use, with no luck or at too high a price. MAKE one? Well of course.

I know Dave makes it look easy, but I’m gonna take a shot at it… I’ve even got some of his flameless candles done to put inside

Off to the craft store for some foam board and extra paint! I’m thinking if this goes well, I will make several for the graveyard and maybe one for me to carry, too!

The Crystal Ball Dilemma

Bonnie — Sat, 18 Sep 2010 19:07:27 +0000

Trying to figure out how to handle this… A bowl that fits under the base doesn’t hold enough water for the mister to work. I love the base and don’t want to lose the look of it… Not sure what to do. Here’s a video to explain — although at this point I am really less concerned about the condesation and splash than I am about the giant pan of water it’s sitting in:

More Evolved Candle-Making

Bonnie — Fri, 17 Sep 2010 16:04:18 +0000

I’m obsessed with getting these candles right. A few changes to the process:

* I started simply making a “shelf” out of hot glue, around the inside edge where I want the tealight to sit.

* Red Bull cans make GREAT candles… just hack off the tops, give them a base coat of spray paint, add the hot glue (lots for the top sharp edge and lots to hide the ‘can’ bottom - some of mine need a bit more there), and paint again. Drop an led tealight inside and it reflects beautifully. No newspaper needed to hide seams or anything. Any size can works!

* Layers of the hot glue with a “pool” at the bottom looks much better. I do a base coat on everything now.

Latest batch:

My Latest Batch of Candles