Oogie Boogie entrance

Another Nightmare Before project that's in the works. As you see to the left of my wife is the mouth entrance down to Oogie Boogies layer seen in the Treehouse. I made this out of foam board using a pattern template. I intend to add the lights to the back, paint the teeth to it and add the twig eye brows. The masks that hang on the walls around it in the look like I could make them out of pinkish foamies.

Gift from the Wife

A fantastic sculpt of the Mayor of Halloweentown, signed by the artist, David Kracov. I received this from my wife as a gift. The detail is awesome and the likeness is uncanny. A great piece added to my ever growing collection.

Babushka Dolls

Being a huge Nightmare Before Christmas fan I am never short of interested in making more props from the film. I bought a blank set of Babushka dolls to make these. I traced the pattern of the doll from the film onto the wood frame. I then proceeded to paint each doll by hand and finish it off with a coat of lacquer to seal it. I really like how they came out. To be closer to the movie I would need to add some more distressing to them, but I am not sure I want to do that. Not yet anyway. I know that in the film there was only three, but I like it being a full set.

Halloweentown Jack-in-the-Box

I bought one of those foam pumpkins for this project. It also comes out every Halloween. I traced a photo from the film of this prop to make the templet then proceeded cut it out with a scalpel. I painted the inside of the pumpkin black and repainted the outside orange to give it a more 'realistic' look. I am almost finished with the box that it goes in. I hope to make it functional by adding a motor in the box that moves the pumpkin head up and down. I was thinking about using the guts of those Moving Chrismtas wire frame animal displays for it. Course getting one cheap it the only way to go.

Zero

This was a quick project. Not yet completed though. I sculpted Zero from the Nightmare Before Christmas with sculpty clay (got tons of it). I used twist ties in the body to help hold the clay in place while it baked in the oven. I intend to mold this too and create a display with my Jack Skellington.

Scraps, from Corpse Bride

I took some old wire hangers that we weren't using any more and cut them up in small parts. Then using sculpy clay I crafted the bones. Once it was at a point where I was happy enough with how it looked and fit together, it was baked in the oven to harden and I glued the parts together. The head was hollow that I originally formed around a tinfoil ball. Once it was hard I pulled the tinfoil out and filled it with expanding foam. Scraps has been out for display every year now for Halloween. I am in the process of making another scraps that I intend to mold and cast to make a little more ridged. The sculpy is just too fragil and weak to be a permanente alternative.
For Halloween of 2005, Mary-Frances and I dressed up as The Bride (Emily) and Victor for Christ First Baptist Church's Trunk-er-Treat. I made Mary's costume and rented mine.

Sally Puppet face replacement replica

This is one of my favorite items in my NBC collection. It is a re-cast off an original face replacement from the puppet Sally from The Nightmare Before Christmas, or at least that was what I was told when I purchased it. It is cast in resin and hand painted. The eyes were a seperate cast and glued into place. There are two dimples on the inside where. I believe, the mask locked into place on the original puttet.I bought it on eBay several years ago. I haven't seen another available since. It would be really cool to have a couple more expressions.

Jack Skellington Cake

This was a fun and easy project. I made this cake in a small cake pan and cut it into a square to make the shape of a gift. I was originally inspired by the Disneyland French Market desert that was available one year during the holidays. It is a regular cake, with green icing (white icing with green food coloring) and some "creative" sculpting with Fondant to make the ribbon and the Jack Head. Using some food coloring to make a black 'paint' to color the eyes and mouth. Pretty simple, and quick.

Christmas Town Sled

I started this project some years ago and have yet to finish it. I was inspired to make it when I saw the original on eBay. I saved the photos listed with it as it provided great reference material. I went to Home Depot and bought some wood. I made a pattern by scaling the photos up to what I believe to be 'full' studio scale and traced it out. I was able to cut the parts out at my brother-in-laws as he had a skillsaw. I am still looking for a good source for the wheel that the penguin is in that drives this sled.

If you havn't reconized it, it is the sled seen in The Nightmare Before Christmas when Jack visits Christmas town. Three Elves are singing carols and passes Jack while he is hiding in a snowman. I have two of these that I am putting together. I had painted this to match the orginal as much as possible.

I am also in the process of sculpting the elves. I have the two identical elves sculpted and cast, they just need to be sanded smooth and painted. I'll get on the third elf and the penguin at a later date. Hopefully someday I'll get this project completed.

Welcome To The Breadsmasher

Welcome to the breadsmasher. What is the breadsmasher? you ask. Well, it is a children's story that I wrote in kindergarten that has stuck with me all this time. I have since rewritten it and had it published into a book that is available for purchase on blurb.com. Being a fan of stop-motion animation, I have decided that I would being work on creating my story, the breadsmasher into a feature short. The full length is not yet determined, but I hope to make it at least a half hour long. So, this blog has been created to document the progress of my story and all the work that I am putting into it. It wont be a fast journey but a slow and painstakingly fun one.

However, I will take the time to explore into my other hobbies and show works that I have done and am currently working on that may or may not be related. In short, I'll post the things I am working on.

My other blog that is domumenting the progress of my Boba Fett costume can be found here: blastedjetpack.blogspot.com