Mostly I Do Art...

This is probably the best idea for a costume I've had in a long time. It all started when I saw this mask hanging in the store back in early October. I remember staring at it and thinking to myself, "I...MUST...HAVE...DIS..." So I bought it and brought it home. At the time, I had intended to wear it myself, but then - well, it just wasn't scary on me. Enter my tiny assistant and one hand-crafted, custom-made fur suit. (I finally fixed the sewing machine!) The result - a rather disturbing Scare Bear, complete with tummy tattoo and cutie mark. You better believe that the adults handing out candy will remember this little horror amid a sea of bad Joker costumes and surplus Batmans. The originality alone is worth an extra fun size snickers or two. The fact that I put this costume on a child? Pure evil genius...

Okay, so I know that whole #Bioshock thing is getting old, but come on - there's nothing creepier than crazed drug heads in formalwear and animal masks trying to kill you over a can of Spam. It's all so... #Rapture. Bunny Splicer - Bioshock 2 The creepiest part of it all is when you find out why they're dressed like that. When you first encounter these demented bunny men, they've already been here for years. Later, you discover that these crazed party goers are remnants of a masquerade ball, circa 1959. Masquerade Ball Advertisement, in-game Sander Cohen, the artist, also handed out masks like the one below as invitations to his exclusive club. Only the richest and most influential citizens of Rapture received one, and only those who possessed one of these strange masks could get in. If you play the DLC Burial at Sea , you have to steal one of these masks in order to gain access to Cohen's. Bunny Mask - Burial at Sea Over time, these masks ...

Greetings, all you gals and ghouls! It's our favorite time of the year here at Studio 71 - HALLOWEEN! With that being said, I have a fiendish assortment of props and scenes to share today. Our Halloween Scream Scene is a spooky, haunted mansion set back in a creepy, swampy forest. (Bear in mind, I have smaller children who aren't so into the "scary", so these are gore and horror free.) Have a look! We begin our tour of the Haunted Mansion in the overgrown gardens outside. This large rat seems to have stolen a bone from somewhere nearby. (Lol. The rat is electronic and can be triggered remotely.) The sign warns to continue with caution. We stumble on the mansion's private cemetery, overgrown and forgotten. A weathered skeleton has been uncovered and stares out from the dead grass. Perhaps this is where the rat found his bone. Near the front door of the house we find a strange little garden gnome. He seems to be watching for something. Could i...

While simple in design and style, these military reproduction medals are more than convincing, even at close inspection. "Sons of Liberty" medal is strung from whip-stitched white sateen ribbon. "Pathfinder" medal hangs from whip-stitched tartan taffeta ribbon. Both medals have easy fasten pin backs. These medals were used as a part of the Halloween "Steampunk Pirates" costumes and received rave reviews. While these two medals were hand sewn, I will admit that the design's aesthetic appeal could be improved with a machined stitch. The ribbons themselves are made from an 6 inch length of 1 1/2 inch wide ribbon. A mark was made designating the center and the pin was sewn on to what would become the back. The ribbon was then folded wrong sides together and carefully stitched down either side before being sewn into a tapered point by folding the corners toward the back and sewing them together. The medals are suspended from stainless jeweler's rin...

Baron Samedhi, or as he was also known, the Baron of the Cemetery, was a voodoo spirit that presided over the newly deceased. So what better costume to wear to a zombie walk than the voodoo zombie overlord himself? The entire costume was hand made especially for the 2014 zombie walk sponsored by Red Towers Entertainment. It included a black, three piece undertaker's suit, prop bottle of absinthe, cane, cigar, and assorted plastic snakes and spiders. The makeup was modeled after the Baron Samedhi's costume from the James Bond movie Live and Let Die . While it isn't really all that terrifying, it was very easily recognized, and was specifically designed not to upset or frighten children. After all, the Baron was more inclined to enjoy the fun rather than terrify the populace, and so were we... #zombie #cosplay #costume #halloween #baronsamedhi

Ah, yet another hand-made Victorian style men's top hat, this one in decadent brown suede and green silk. It features a heavy canvas cloth rise with soft suede padded crown and wide, molded brim. The interior is fully lined in brown suede to match. The trim is made from silk ribbon with handmade decorative accents including a watch, hand cut gears, and gemstone brooch. The hat was designed to accompany a matching London Fog men's overcoat in green with leather trim and was specifically made to sit canted as shown. #steampunk #victorian #edwardian #costume #cosplay #vintage

It's already time to start thinking about the 2015 Zombie Walk to benefit Feed the Humans. Last year's Baron Samedhi costume was a huge hit, but this year I thought I might try something a little different. How about a bit of steampunk mayhem? Given the popularity of books and movies like Pride and Prejudice and Zombies  and Abraham Lincoln, Vampire Hunter , my accomplice and I have decided to be the hunters instead of the hunted. Let the modding begin! The image above is a sketch I made of the Hammershot, part of the Nerf N-Strike Elite, Zombie Strike Series. I have one of these little joys and it still works famously. The plan is to alter the Hammershot to make it resemble a more realistic weapon suitable for a monster hunter. With the digital sketch, I can test drive different mods without destroying the weapon. I have to say that when rendered in black and white instead of safety orange and stripped of the Nerf logos, this so-called toy looks much less like a toy and...

As you may already know (and if you don't, just keep reading), last year's zombie walk to benefit Feed the Humans was a smashing success. It was the first time that an event of this kind had been scheduled in Chattanooga, and this year, Red Towers Entertainment is determined to do it again. I don't know about the rest of you, but I intend to be there. In fact, I've already made my reservations. So now we come to the subject of proper attire... Rather than fall in line behind the other zombies, I had something more original planned - a Baron Samedi costume. According to Haitian Voodoo, Baron Samedi, also known as Baron Cimetiere or Baron La Croix, is the leader of the Guede clan, powerful Loa with particular links to magic, ancestor worship, and death. The Baron's chief realm of concern is the newly departed, hence the reason why he is known as the Baron of the Cemetery. He is master of the dead, and what more fitting a costume for a zombie walk than a zombie-lo...