Davis Graveyard SpiderFEST 2010

I found with a little research

2011-02-27T05:31:00.001-08:00

that there are spiders that eat frogs....yes...the world is that messed up :D

I need therapy (more therapy) now! :D

That is my, very, very, very lame excuse why I have not done my due diligence on this blog.

But I am mending my ways. I have worked on the photos of the spiders and the swag for the submitters. I promise next week to start living up to my end of the bargain on Spiderfest 2010!

Watch for details!

I keep him anyway

2011-02-04T15:06:00.000-08:00

out of all the things that the cats have to play with in the house, and trust me I have three very spoiled cats, this is Hal's (Halloween Cat) favorite.

My sister in law, who is evil, gave it to me as a gift one Halloween. It is kinda hard to tell, but it is a furry spider on a pull string.....it vibrates when you pull the string....or I should say did vibrate. The guts on the inside are completely crushed.

Crushed by me stepping on it because he insists on bringing it to me and dropping it at my feet! I know he does it to mock me....my cats are evil. :)

I really didn't think

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this was real.

Have to thank Patrick over at Raven's Borrow (a great blog that you should be checking out) for this one.

I really like I would die if someone made me eat one of these.

Crispy, crunchy, and finger-lickin' . . . SPIDER!

•Oven-baked and ready to eat - just remove the fangs first.

•A charming (and hairy) delicacy of Cambodia.

•Dare you to eat one!

•Read more...

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Almost everyone on planet Earth, one way or another, is scared of spiders. There are many ways to conquer arachnophobia (the fancy name for said fear of spiders). But there is one method that we like better than any other: eat your fear. Literally. Just get an Oven-Baked Tarantula and eat the thing that frightens you.

Right now you're wondering if this tarantula is real. Yup! Every Oven-Baked Tarantula is baked in its native Cambodia, and collected from monitored sources (to protect the tarantula's natural population). Each one is baked, crunchy, and just a little hairy - but ready to eat right out of the package. Just don't forget to remove the fangs first. Then, enjoy your yummy Cambodian delicacy - your very own Oven-Baked Tarantula. Sorry, Jimmy.

If you are insane and must have one....sorry, they are out of stock (darn, I am SOOO heartbroken.)

I know I owe you Spiderfest pictures.....I promise to work on them this weekend!

Since husband posted some

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on our blog. I should at least post one Spiderfest2010 picture before I head out of town.

I promise to go through and find that one awesome picture when I get back. But for now. Thanks to everyone that helped creep the f&ck out of the frog queen.

I know where you live.....well, most of you anyway :D

Thanks everyone! That was fun! In that scare the frog queen to death kinda way!

Monsters are real

2010-11-05T12:18:00.000-07:00

This is a picture of a real life monster that was in my office.

As you can see.....I am lucky to be alive right now.

It all started with this Spiderfest 2010 thing.

I mean I told everyone to weather proof them, but it rained for two weeks straight before Halloween, so I did not put them up. That and I really did not want to get on a ladder in the rain because I am blessed with an abundance of clumsy.

It stopped raining on Halloween day! So I grab all the boxes and Muffet and head out to the willow tree to make the first ever group Halloween display!!

Imagine, if you will, the frog queen in her yard hanging these freakishly large spiders cursing at all of you under my breath. Well, actually it was out loud....I figured none of you could hear me :D

Perfect! I know have the scariest Halloween display in the whole world and think to myself....man I need to get new blog friends....:D

(Well, all your weather proofing was not in vein, at about 10:30 the flood from the sky started. Seriously it rained nonstop on Monday.....wow, moving back to California is not sounding so bad right now.)

Well it cleared up and by Wednesday I had Spider Dan, the genius with a web gun, come over for the final touches.

Then we start taking pictures. Husband is off to the left and Dan is off south of him really close to the bushes that border the house.

Evil bushes.....that unbeknownst to me is where the monsters live.

I am working on something for Dan so I ask him to come into my office to look at it before I print it. He sits in my chair and takes a look. He likes it, so he gets up out of my chair so I can sit back down to print it. He and husband head out of the office.

When finished I take it over out to him and he reminds me that I forgot one of the pieces. Back into the office I go.

....here is the scary part....if you don't like scary, close your eyes now.

I go to sit in my chair and I notice that Dor and Hal are sitting on my keyboard looking at my chair....I think it is odd, but cats are odd, so I really do not think anything of it and sit down.

Almost immediately Dor is trying to crawl up my arm to get on the chair.

Now....I am not completely clueless....in my mind, I know what is likely happening. There is a spider or bug on the chair. I see where she is looking, it is the side of the headrest. ((shudder))

Alright, lets lean over and take a look.

Bad idea!

HOLY *&^%$#* SHIT!

And as you guessed....this is where I lose my mind. I run for my life into the kitchen to tell husband that the biggest spider I have ever seen is in the office.

He starts to grab some paper towels.

....hum, I have seen her and that is NOT going to work.....my fault really, I always say that the spiders are "huge" and he comes back and tells me that it was "not that big"....

And because I love him.....I try to warn him one last time.....it is really a big spider....that is not going to work.

He rolls his eyes and he and Dan head into the office.

Me? I head for my cell to find my sister-in-laws phone number....she is a real estate agent....and I need to sell the house.

That is when I hear....from both of them.

OMG what the f*ck? That is ....

Now, I should say that Dan only likes spider slightly more than me....

I am usually happier when I get to say "I told you so"

So Dan stays in the office to take pictures and guard the spider while husband comes in the kitchen to get a glass, when we both decide....yes, we are going to need a bowl.

Husband tells both of us to calm down and get out of the office. So Dan and I are standing in the kitchen trying to figure out how the spider got there.....Dan thinks it was on him. He turns around and

Holy shit again!

There is a big web on the back of his jacket....I pull it off.....it does not want to come off....I think I (and maybe Dan) am going to faint.

Husband walks past us and out the door.....he comes in and says something about the spider being rather crab like.....

...thud....

So, I am thinking that I can now never use that office again. Husband is going to have to trade with me. ...his office is blue.....not my favorite color....but I could learn to like blue.

Spiders vs. Zombies

2010-11-04T09:18:00.000-07:00

So the zombie dance team was here on Halloween and they were hungry from brains....spider brains!

Miss Muffet and her fan club

The spiders are free!

2010-10-31T17:12:00.001-07:00

We finally have a dry day. Setting up for Spiderfest 2010!

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I am only procrastinating

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because it is pouring rain outside. It looks like Thursday will be a dry-like evening, so I will try to hang the monsters, I mean spiders, up for Spiderfest2010!

Thanks to everyone for their suggestions for curds & whey and dust. I think I have it worked out and we will see how it all comes together.

I plan to have it all or mostly all finished by Saturday evening so we can snap some pictures for everyone....in between rainstorms :D
I am going to leave it up until the following weekend when we take the yard down (November 6th), so if anyone wants to get there spider to me late that is fine, and I am really hoping that we get a dry day in there so we can get some good pictures.

Updates to follow.

I could use some suggestions

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for Little Miss Muffet

I am using a Bart skeleton in a terribly fluffy, frilly dress that will almost be as terrifying to me as the spiders....but that is not why I called you her today.

I have a wig, and I am going to put a ribbon and bow in her hair and sit her on the bench....so far I am good. We will also have "Spider Dan" web the holy living crap out of the tree and her!!

I need to make a bowl of curds and whey - which sounds awfully appetizing....anyone have any suggestions...ones that don't involve great stuff :D Just kidding, I am learning to ~~love~~ appreciate great stuff....slowly...very slowly.

How about we look at it this way....why don't we make it a challenge to make it without great stuff....lets think outside the pumpkin for a few moments.

But if great stuff is the answer......I can deal with the sticky.....one last time :D

And I want to make her look dusty - like she has been there for a while. I want to coat her, including her hair and the bench around her.

Now I realize in the rain this is not going to be easy or possible.

But let us dispel reality for a moment and pretend that it might be dry outside.....I was thinking Christmas tree flocking.....lightly sprayed and painted gray....or baby power (or a combination)......I be there is "dust" that I can buy at some effects store......I bet there is.....

Well, if anyone has any suggestions for those two effects, I would really appreciate it.

What better place

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to feature the LOLspider and ROFLspider sites than here, and Spiderfest 2010. If you have not seen these sites, check them out.....the spider in the pizza about made me physically ill. But entertaining......in that creepy, OMG - that is terrifying and I better NEVER see that in person kinda way.

Frog Queen has to go now....I don't feel so well :(

BTW- going to work on Little Miss Muffet on Sunday and start hanging spiders next week.

Oh, this is gonna be fun!

It is not just the basement cat

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You have to worrry about. :)

Have I mentioned today that I hate spiders? Well, I do.

((shudder))

Husband calls me and says

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"You have a winner for the best packaging award for Spiderfest."

To which I say, "Yeah, I know, Mr. Chicken drew a cool picture on his box....all kinds of awesome!"

He replies, "No, this is way better than that."

"Really?! How could anything be way than that?"

"You are going to have to wait to see it when you get home."

"Can't you just tell me?"

"No, I really cannot, and I REALLY want to see your face when you open the box!"

.....hum.....this does not sound good.....not at all :)

I was very curious and in a way a bit relieved that I was working really late that night....... :D

Cause I was scared....just a bit.

_____________________________________

I get home and husband tells me to open the box....I head for the closet to get a broom stick to open it with....I am not touching this thing.

"Nothing is going to jump out at you silly! Just open it, you really are being a baby about these."

"Fine"

I open the first flap....nothing, just a little paint on the box....he must have reused a box, no worried. No pops, thousands of baby spiders do not come running out of the box....okay, those were my worst thoughts...how bad can it be?

I open up the next flap and guess what was on it?

guess??

Yep, spiders!!! He glued spiders to box flaps!

About gave the frog queen a heart attach!!

That was until I looked inside......there is a huge.......massive.....

really, it is frickin huge.......spider, and that is not the worst of it, no....not it is not.....it is all covered in, I can barely say it with out passing out...........spiderwebs!!!!

He webbed the spider in the box!

What kind of evil person does that to someone!!!?!?
Grim from Grim Hollow

:)

I LOVE it, it is really clever and cool! I shriek!!! This is awesome.

I am not sure if it is "better" packaging than Mr. Chicken.....just different.

Both really creative.

I took the spider out of the box and went

"Damn! That is big spider - this has to be the biggest spider I have ever seen."

I wish that had been the case.....

.....really I do.....but then Stolloween's spider arrived a few days later.....oh lordy! You people are trying to kill me, aren't you?!?!

Really, it is because

2010-10-09T07:00:00.000-07:00

i am busy and NOT because the spiders creep me out that I have been slow at posting the pictures of the latest spider arrivals.....yeah, that is the excuse I am using.

Sounds even more believeable when I say it out loud! Sweet!

Anyway - more spiders have arrived. You are going to love these....and we have a winner - bet you didn't know there was a contest huh? Of the best packaging award....I know, how could anyone beat Mr. Chicken....but it has been done my friends. Yes, yes it has and it is all kinds of awesome.

Fangs!!?!?!?!?!?

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It had fangs!?!?!

((thud))

They came in pairs.....

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again:)

The very nice and super talented Dave from the http://joomla.asmarteru.biz/horton/ site has sent me not one....but two spiders.

I have to apologize to him that he sent me pictures of his work in progress before they shipped....but I got distracted with the whirlwind going on around here.

I love them.....red is my favorite color so this red and "yellow kneed" spider is just perfect.

Then you can imagine my delight when I opened the box to find two spiders and the other being a "pirate" spider....the crew loves it. I has great details, so I snapped a few pictures.

I so want to apologize to Dave for getting this on the site so late. Thank you man, they are both awesome!

When they come with names

2010-10-04T07:12:00.000-07:00

it just makes me want to post a for sale sign in the yard and start packing!

Here is the latest spider on the way to the Davis Graveyard Spiderfest.

He has a name....of course he does, I guess fear would have a name like NOCTURNUS....Oh, this is going to creep me out.

Anyone want a house cheap....I will even through in a "graveyard"...but I have to warn you....it has a spider problem. :D

Thanks Scotty - really looking forward to seeing this one! Check out his blog for more pictures.

Stop by and wish him well, sounds like he has the a cold like I had, I agree, it just killed my energy. Get well soon!

You know, I have never met

2010-09-27T07:20:00.000-07:00

Johnny Thunder....I visit his blog and really enjoy listening to him and Chris talk about horror movies on Hauntcast.....but never met him. I want to now.....cause I owe him. Not sure what I owe him....but I will think of something :)

He keeps sending me these spider stories.......why?!??!

The latest is that they discovered a new spider....that makes the largest webs in the world. Thank goodness it did not take the "largest spiders in world" to make those webs....cause we might need big webs, but there is no need for bigger spiders!!!

Fortunately I have no immediate plans to visit Magagascar.

But actually, that is pretty cool! I am talking about the web....the spider is not cool, not cool at all :D

Although the crew

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who are very into steampunk stuff - I like it too - they just like it more. Would have loved his original version....I am thrilled in that "I am really scared" kind of way to see the progress on the SpiderFEST 2010 offering from Stolloween.

Since I really hate pink....I think it is frickin' horrifying as is....painting it will only make it less creepy. At least that is what I am thinking today. I am staying with that thought....it keeps me from crying in fear :D

Head on over to his site to see more pictures. Impressive.

....oh, you know what would make it scarier....pink glitter.....:D

It is awesome - thanks so much!!

So what do we have here

2010-09-17T13:46:00.000-07:00

OMG - it is freakin' scary spider!!!

I would say I have had nightmares about spiders like this....but since my mind had not gone there yet...... I should say now I am going to have nightmares about spiders like this....as if "normal" spiders were not scary enough, I present you the offering from Grimvisions....

Yeah, I hate him now :D

Check out his website for more pictures.

I will be hiding in the closet.... :D

You guys can make me

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these spiders all day long :D

http://members.cox.net/crandall11/money/spider/

Let us simplify it even more

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If pipe cleaners are just too "complicated" for you...how about glue and paper and scissors.

I think we can handle that. :)

Here is how to make simple spider...

...it will last about 2 minutes in the rain. Some art is just temporary. :D

I knew I was going to get

2010-09-13T10:43:00.000-07:00

a wolf spider in the mix. Unlike the banana spider that Rot made, this one I know. They are creepy and fast and fuzzy...I think they are worse than black widows....and I lived where both are common, and these are worse.

I thought I moved away from them.....but they are following me...I told you spiders are evil.

Head on over to the Grim Hollow blog and take a look at their creation for Spiderfest 2010.

It is truly creepy, it has the face of a wolf spider....I can see that, I thought I had forgotten....but now I remember....I have to go lie down for a while. :)

Thanks, I am really impressed with this one. Looking forward to this project.

I can't look at it

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because it has a face.

((shudder))

What kind of sick person puts a face on a spider!!! :D

That is just wrong, so very wrong.....and creepy, look at all those bits hanging off of it...and the legs are cool...and look at....

((shudder))

I gotta quit looking at the face.

Thanks Darkrose Manor - it looks fantastic. Check out her blog to see more pictures and do yourself a favor and check out her Poppets. They are definately on the Frog Queen's wish list.

As far as I am conerned

2010-09-09T08:00:00.000-07:00

I cannot post this Phil Jupitus routine too many times. Yes, I know it has been on my main blog twice....but since this is about spiders, I am taking this opportunity to introduce you to one of my favorite comic routines ever. He has taken the time to correctly put spiders into categories. This is helpful information....check it out.

Category One

I will say it again...boarding up a room when a category one spider goes missing is NOT irrational, makes perfect sense to the frog queen :)

For those of you that say

2010-09-09T06:20:00.000-07:00

that you cannot make a spider. Here is the how to for you.

Pipe cleaners are safe and fun to use....let your inner child create away!!

Best of all, not only is it naturally waterproof, it looks completely fake looking, it is small and not scary. The way I like my spiders. :D

It used to be when

2010-09-08T12:16:00.000-07:00

someone saw a frog thing on the Internet or saw a frog in store, they would send me a little message telling me about it.

I don't get those anymore....now I get spiders. Something is wrong in the universe.

Anyway, thanks to Johnny Thunder for sending me this very funny post about a guy who blew himself up trying to kill a spider. Granted, if the spider in the picture was the spider in question.....I would have moved.

I think I will stick to catching them a putting them outside...or calling husband to "get the monster".

Remember boys and girls safety first!

So it appears that I am sending

2010-09-02T15:32:00.000-07:00

the wrong message to my cats.

So this is why they do not kill the spiders in the house. They just torture them and leave them for me to find. Cats are evil :D

Since it is raining outside

2010-08-31T16:14:00.000-07:00

right now, and it will likely be raining at least once or twice in October. I thought this would be a good time to cover "weatherproofing your spider"

Some of the stuff I type these days just baffles me....never in my life would I have thought "weatherproofing your spider" would appear from my keyboard.....anyway....

Here is what i know.

We use foam for a reason, it is naturally water resistant and lightweight. Our larger spider is a foam body and friendly plastic legs. Both water resistant on their own. A little paint and we are good to go.

We paint almost all our props with a complete coat of black exterior house paint, using a sprayer. This way we are sure that the paint has gotten into all the nooks an crannies and is creating a waterproof seal.

Interior house paint will wear off in the rain and provides no rain barrier. Regular exterior house paint on the prop and we are golden. No other weathering needed.

Monster mud - well, since it is partly paint, it is fairly waterproof, but we paint all those props with a couple coats of exterior house paint anyway. Since mud props are not foam, you can also use spray paint on them, which is even a better waterproof coating.

In the case of the mud men, where we use burlap, I also put a coat of polyurethane on them each year. They get a bit soggy, but they stay in tact.

Electronics, prop controllers and power supplies. They go in those sealed sprinkler boxes. You know the ones that have the door that opens and the rubber gasket seal? They come in various sizes and they usually have a key lock. We use those for the controllers for props like the preacher and coachman. Just remember to close them when you are done....otherwise they are worthless. (Speaking from experience :D)

Clay - we have used a bit of Crayola Magic Modeling clay, it seems to hold up okay, but I would paint the sh*t out of it. :D The bigger problem with clay is that the pieces separate, more from temperature fluctuation than water damage.

Papier-mâché- I am little help here. I don't create with it for the yard because of the rain and we leave our props up for so long; our display is out for just over a month. That can be a lot of rain. I imagine with a few good coats of varnish it should last the season. I am going to invest in a few cans of matte and semigloss varnish and spray the spiders with an extra coat on dry days. If a spider looks particularly delicate, I will try to cover it in a "cocoon" of plastic when I know it is going to really rain.

We are resourceful crew and if we see that any spider is having difficulties we will bring it in the shop and do our best to bring it back to life. When I say "we" I mean the crew....cause I am not touching them :D

Big thanks to Ghoul Friday for letting me know that I really needed to share this information. She is the best - and if you have not read her interview over at Zombos Closet of Horror blog...get yourself on over and check it out.

Any specific questions? Ask away!

So I just looked up

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banana spiders. Holy hokey pucks Batman! I had no idea what they were and that was a much happier time in my life that I will always look back on fondly. I will remember that as a time in my life I got more sleep and less nightmares!

Their webs can catch birds and mice....and probably small cats and children. They are aggressive and not afraid of people. They have one of the most painful bites!! What the?....devils indeed!

Pumpkinrot used to be my friend :D

.......I just know there is a black widow or wolf spider on the way......cause you are all evil (and I do so like evil.)

Have I mentioned how much I LOVE Mr. Chicken's smiling happy blue spider. It may have a lot of teeth and still scares me.....but it seems the least likely to kill me in my sleep.

BTW - Duh, that is not the real spider (I am not even touching a picture, no way! Do you really think I was was going to post something that terrifying? That picture is still scary though, the FQ hates bananas :D

So it is official

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I will no longer open any boxes that come to the house between now and Halloween. Nope, not going to do it. My friend Daniel agreed to be my official pack inspector....kinda like the personal taster for the queen.

Because you see, there are monsters coming to the house.....scary eight-legged monsters that look like this.

I am going to keep them in my garden room.....cause I know I cannot sleep knowing that they are in the house.

BTW - this is not a picture of a real spider....Rot is just that good :)

This is the only picture I could bare to put on the blog. Head over to his site and see the close up of the face......it made me faint :)

It is even better

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in person!

Check out the first spider to arrive for SpiderFEST 2010! Here is Dorie checking it out to make sure it is not eatable :) He did mention that the spider has not eaten the whole trip and that I might want to keep it away from the cats....he does look like he is contemplating Dorie for his next meal. :D

Here it is in pieces with very detailed instruction on how to attach the legs. Something we will do this weekend.

I kinda set him up on the table to give you and idea of how he will look!

Oh and check out his "death certificate" - what a nice detail. You haunt people are so amazing.

Thanks Mr. Chicken, we are looking forward to getting this up in the tree and taking pictures. I will likely take it down until October....but I cannot wait that long to see how cool it is going to look.

My mind is a scary place

2010-08-23T10:45:00.000-07:00

trust me...you don't want to know how this stuff happens. But over the weekend I had talked myself into using any spiders that are left from Spiderfest 2010 to decorate my office.

Since husband moved to the basement, I have the old office to myself. It really needs a lot of work, but with everything going on, I am not going to get to it until December....and I have been trying to figure out how to decorate it.

Then when I heard someone say that they would hang Mr. Chickens awesome spider in their living room (or something like that) - I thought, I should bring the spiders into my office when I am done.

I can paint spider webs on the walls and hang the spiders from the picture rail.

I will still send back any spiders to their creators if they request. No problem sending spiders away from the graveyard.

It is going to be awesome! And I think it is official....I am insane. :)

The first spider

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of the season.

Look at what Mr. Chicken has created for SpiderFEST 2010.

He is awesome in pictures......I cannot imagine how horrifying...er...I mean fantastic he will be in person.

He has got that whole Alice thing going on....creepy....I am so excited!

Wait.....look at all those teeth!!! Did it have to have so many teeth?!?!?!?

Thanks Mr. Chicken!!! You are the best! Made my day!

Head on over there and check out all the great pictures.

So where do you put

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a lot of spiders?

Just to clarify, the tree that this whole production is going in, is in my back yard. We thought about the front yard, but the tree in the back is just perfect.

During the day when you can see into the backyard, you might see some of them.You cannot see it from the street when the ghost kid effect is running because of the backdrop.

I really want to make this a separate piece where we can get great pictures of the props since most of you are far away and cannot see it in person.

What I will do if I get several of them from people that can make it to the house is a little wine/beer appetizer type event on Friday evening so everyone can come see them up close and hang out on the patio with the skulls.

I was also thinking of making t-shirts with the lovely logo Guy created for me for anyone that donates a spider to the display. Anyone interested?

Here is the

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tree in question. This is the willow tree in my back yard that we will hang the spiders from. Where Hal is sitting is where I plan to put Little Miss Muffet. I will try hanging a spider or two in the tree this weekend and snap another picture.

I think they are my friends

2010-08-10T18:13:00.000-07:00

they say they are. We seem to get along, they even made that big spider for me. But behind my back I hear whispers of the creation of some terrifying (pants wetting) spider plans.

When then ask if they should get matress out and lay it on the grass when they show me the spider....I get worried.

Yes I do.

Since the crew has to help

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hang all these spiders, they went for the "hang them as they arrive" approach. So we are going to start hanging them in the tree as they arrive. I will take a picture every day and post it on this blog so we can see the progress. Likely work some video in to, just have to clear that with the IT department :D

So, any spiders that arrive after the first weekend in October will go in the tree as soon as I can get them up there.

This is going to give me nightmares....I can tell :)

I know at this point

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in time it is hard to think past October 31 for even a second. But I just want to add that part of the vision for this group prop project is to pass it along to another blogger next year. Find a way to pick one of you talented people to host the next group prop making event and continue this year after year.

Just letting you know in case you were thinking you were going to get away with only participating this year :D

I am thinking that in the beginning of October we will have a way for bloggers to sign up to be the next "insert prop here"FEST 2011. So while you are thinking of your display keep in the back of you mind of what you would do for a group prop display.

Questions? Suggestions? Let me know.

Wait a minute

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before we answer more questions.....are those spiders in the background of this blog....Guy is really trying to kill me....and I thought he was my friend :D

So frog queen...

1. Are there any taboo spiders? Something we can't do?

No, eight legs lots of eyes....spider looking thing....all good. I learned a long time ago to not put limits on creative thinking.

2. I am an over achiever and want the spider to move! Can I get some power?

Really, you want to make something that MOVES?!?! Really? Moves?!?! Holy crap! Wow, that is a....a...scary, I mean, kind of you. I can't hardly wait to see that...from a distance :D Sure, I can get power out to the tree, I will find a way.

3. How are you hanging them?

We can provide a heavy gage fishing line or wire or you can attach a something to your spider. If you do not send someway to hang it....please keep in mind in your design that we will need someplace to tie some kind of line to your prop and then hang it from the tree.

4. This whole thing is based on a nursery rhyme? Why?

Cause it is a freakin' scary nursery rhyme! And it the idea that came into my head...I could explain how it got there....but I am not sure I even know how my mind works.

5. I can't remember, how does the nursery rhyme go?

Little Miss Muffet
sat on a tuffet
eating her curds and whey
along came a spider
sat down beside her
and frightened Miss Muffet away

Is that not he scariest nursery rhyme ever?

Our version with rewrite the last three lines:

"along came (insert number of spiders here)
sat down beside her
and frightened Miss Muffet to death

I like that ours better :)

6. What about zombie spiders?

The thought of a zombie spider is horrifying....and undead spider that wants to eat my brain. Yeah, that is just not good on so many levels.

Good thing they don't exist, right? Right? ((frog queen looks around her office nervously))

Let's ask the frog queen

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a few things about this project. (I just love talking about myself in the third person.)

1. Size limit?

No, not really, has to hang from a 30 foot willow tree - so a big as the branch can bare. In case anyone is thinking of scaring the living sh*t out of me with a HUGE spider, I will save you some time. Found Eight-Legged Freaks fine to watch, spiders were too big to be real, didn't bother me at all.

2. How long will they be up?

I am thinking of setting them up after our display goes up on the first weekend in October, so I was thinking of setting this up the day before Halloween, Saturday October 30 and leaving them up until November 6th when we take down the rest of the display. I could also set them up as they come in, and we could sort of watch it grow. Let me know your thoughts.

3. Does it really rain that much in the Northwest?

It rains a lot, that is why it is lovely and green. We usually do okay in October...but I cannot guarantee that it will be dry. If it is really rainy I can try to cover delicate props in plastic.

4. Can anyone participate?

Yes, you do not need to follow any of my entertaining and amusing blogs or even know of the Davis Graveyard....if you send me a spider I will hang it from the tree.

5. Can I send more than one?

Seriously, more than one.....what? You are crazy...just for asking. But the answer is yes, I will hang as many as you send.

6. What about real spiders?

If you send me a real spider, dead or living. I will send you back a box of faeries...trust me, you don't want a fairy infestation. No one wants that. Seriously though, I am a softy when it comes to living creatures (including spiders). Please do not kill anything - including spiders for this display. Please and thank you.

7. Wait a minute, this looks like a cunning plan to get people to send you free props? What's up?

It is not. If I was going to have you make me props.....the LAST thing I would ask for is spiders! :D

On that note, anyone that wants their spider back, I will send it back to you. Less spiders at my house the better....real or fake. Just let me know when you send it to me and I will make a note of it. I will be in the UK most of November, and then the holidays, do I likely will not get to mail them back until January.

That said, I want you to know that I will do everything I can to make sure that nothing happens to your spiders - but they will be outside for a week and hanging in a tree. Damage or destruction is possible, don't send me anything that you cannot part with. To quote the genius that is Joss Wedon from the Serenity movie when Mal is talking to the doctor about taking River on a mission. "I will do everything in my power to keep your (sister) spider out of harms way. If something happens to (her) your spider, I will be very choked up about it, seriously, there could be tears." (I likely did not quote that exactly.)

I was thinking there has got to be some kind of charity thing we can do with all the spiders? Maybe sell them on Etsy or eBay for charity. Not sure yet, very open to suggestions.

That is it for round one of the question an answer segment of this show.....check back tomorrow when we talk to the frog queen how she feels about zombie spiders.

Another great thing about this blog

2010-07-26T14:09:00.000-07:00

is that I can start putting all the creepy spider stuff here rather than my blog :D
Yippee!!

I saw this horror a while ago on Pumpkinrot's blog, he titled it "True Horror" cause he knows how to call it like it is! :)

Just like you, up until I saw this, I thought that there was nothing creepier than a spider ...but sadly I was wrong....so very wrong.

Apparently there is some fungus in the south pacific area that attaches itself to spiders and basically kills them by by digesting them. Yeah, that is just nauseating :)

The picture on his blog is worse, I could not post it here, it makes me scream out loud.

Seriously, don't click that link....I warned you :)

I begged him not to send me something like that....and that goes for the rest of you! Don't even think about it. :D

And a big thank you

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to Guy at House Bloodthorn for creating this blog for me.....I especially like the lovely cuddly spider picture to the right....yeah, I think he is trying to kill me. :D

Thanks again Guy, you are the best!

So it begins

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I announced a few weeks ago that this group prop idea would be fun and see if anyone wanted to participate...you did, wow, did you ever! So since this is looking like it is going to be a bit bigger than I thought (and that is a good thing), I thought I would start up this blog so that I can share more details with you about the "scene" we are creating.

Looking forward to this....I think.