During one of the 'work' saturday's at Scream at the Beach, there was a discussion about doing one seminar on faux finishes. We will have access to a building so carving any styrofoam pieces will not be a problem like it was this year. I will be bringing a shop vac to take care of the "fluff". Henry Miller has graciously offered to instruct a hands-on seminar on faux finishing of stones, wood, etc. If you have seen any of his work, you will agree that he has the artistic talent for it.
FFNW 2002 was a learning experience for everyone, especially me. I can see that more time needs to be invested in sharing ideas and having the time after the daily seminars to interact with each other. I would like to suggest having a campfire where we can exchange ideas, divulge our deepest fears and tell enough scary experiences that no one will be able to sleep at night. Picking up downed wood is not permitted at the campgrounds and if you want wood you have to buy it. We will be having our fir trees at the house trimmed this year and we have asked the contractor not to chip up the larger limbs. I would be happy to bring the wood for the campfire.
Since Becky Newman was our Food Goddess for the 2002 event but has since moved to Idaho, we are in need of a replacement for her. I have already made up a tentative meal schedule (I learned from the last one and we will not always have hamburgers). I felt that the pizza feed that we had on Saturday night was a very big success and would like to try it again. The people at the pizza parlor were a lot of fun and several asked to come for the 2003 event. The RV building does not have a refrigerator so if you have a cooler, please bring it with you. We will be making trips to the local town for ice and any supplies that we might need. I am going to trying to convince LadyBug to make one of those massive dips that she has made in the past for the gathering and mini-gatherings. They are scrumptious!!
For the 2003 event, I would like to have a volunteer(s) to operate the video camera for the seminars. I was not able to obtain a copy of the 2002 tapes. It would be nice to compile a dvd of the gathering and pictures of everyone's haunt.
I also need a volunteer to help make the goodie sacks that Becky made for everyone last year. I doubt if I could make them as good as Becky did but we can sure give it a shot!
If you are able to bring a prop for show and tell, please do so. Bring any sketches, drawings or notes you have also. I do a lot of 'doodling' in a notebook and it helps direct me in what stuff I need to make. Maybe one of these Halloweens, I will actually be ready before the event....lol. If you have any questions that do not get answered regarding any Halloween stuff, bring those too and we will try to get answers to those.
Halloween should be a family event. There has been a suggestion to have Cheryl's son, Wyatt, instruct an event for the younger members. I think that is a great idea. I will even promise not to talk any of the kids into squishing water from a latex glove into the face of another kid....maybe. I am a trickster, pranster and very old child!
I would like to show how to make a Monster Mud "skin" covering that morphs a styrofoam head to a duct tape dummy. I made one for the death bride whose dress is low-cut in the front and needed the head to blend down to the chest area. I will be happy to bring my dressmaker dummy if anyone wants to make a duct tape dummy prop. I would also like to do a seminar for the sitting gargoyles (pictures coming) that I made from the Mr. Thrifty skeleton and a bucky skull. I have had several people say that they were interested in this. Hopefully, by the time the gathering rolls around, I will have the wing features figured out. I know that there will be a latex demo for making a casting. I hope that the vacuform table will be completed and ready for people to make forms.