Creature Feature: It’s Burton Blog Bash Day!

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Hello subscribers and Burton Blog Bash hoppers! Thank you for taking the time to check out my blog today as we celebrate  the genius that is Tim Burton and the release of Miss Pereguine’s Home For Peculiar Children. Some of you may have learned to like his work later on in life but for me.. his work has effected me since back when it was “weird” to like the types of things he created. Especially for a little girl.

tumblr_mbsz0ro3tu1qepf8yo3_250When I was 7 years old Beetlejuice came out and it instantly drew me in. I remember some kids being scared of Beetlejuice. I was one of those kids yelling his name hoping he would make an appearance. Envious of how cool it would be to live in Lydia Deetz’s shoes. I guess you can say I still admire her. I have her tattoo’d on my arm. My dad even walked me down the aisle to the Beetlejuice intro music because not only did my Dad introduce me to the movie but my husband and I bonded over it when we first started dating (he now has the rest of the cast tattoo’d on his arm). It was a very important part of our ceremony and so symbolic. Who better then Danny Elfman to set the mood for our Halloween Masquerade reception.

When Edward Scissorhands came out, I remember thinking whoever made these films was some sort of genius. When you are younger you really don’t get into who made what when it comes to movies. You just watch them, love them or hate them. However Tim Burton’s films were like nothing I had ever seen and when I found out the same man made Beetljuice it clicked that this man was different. When I found out he did Pee Wee’s Big Adventure my mind was blown. He was talented and he had something no one else had when it came to making movies (I was a smart kid ehh ha ha). When I was really little,  Jim Henson was always my hero as far as fantasy movie makers were concerned. As I was beginning to get older, Tim Burton crept his way into my heart as well. He had this way of bringing macabre visions to life but making them whimsical which amazed me (and still does).

Which brings us to when the previews came out for Nightmare Before Christmas when I was 12 years old. I still have the newspaper clippings I cut out of the newspaper in anticipation for the movie to come out. The fact that it was clay animated completely awed me and the characters seemed so intriguing. I guess you can say I was a little like Jack when I saw the previews… “What’s This?” “What’s This?” 🙂

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Not only did I have these clippings because I was excited about the movie, but I used them to draw the characters as well. Stashed away with the clippings are my sketches from back then. They make me smile to look back at. So not only did Tim Burton entertain me, he also inspired me to create!

The great thing is he still does. Over the years all of his movies have continued to draw me in. These are just a glimpse of some of the things I have conjured up over the years inspired by him. Click on any of the images to see them on a larger scale.

I don’t have enough time or space to include all the clothing and home decor I have collected over the years. ha ha. But I can add to your collections. So to give back to all the people following this Burton Blog Bash I want to give you all a coupon code that can be used in my Etsy shop TODAY ONLY! Use code BURTONBASH at check out and get 15% off your order!

Don’t forget to also check out all the other blogs participating in today’s blog bash! All bloggers will be posting about Tim Burton so you know they are worth stopping by and checking out what they are posting! If this is your first time stopping by my blog please follow and subscribe!

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Stay Spooky!
LDG Nicole

 

 

Skinned: Transformed Myself Into A Creepy Killer Doll

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So over the weekend we helped my brother set up for Trick or Treaters on Halloween. This included using our hearse parked in his driveway for added effect and my husband chasing kids with a chainsaw ha ha. His yard looked amazing before we got there and then with our added props and the hearse it was awesome.

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I have always wanted to attempt a creepy killer doll makeup and costume for Halloween. So I went for it this year. Everything I already had at home except the dress and white eyeliner. So it was not only fun but affordable. he greatest thing is that after I was done doing my makeup I sent my photo to no one recognized me. Even my brother and my Dad asked who it was ha ha! One group of kids was afraid to come up to the porch and get candy from me. Mission accomplished! The funny thing is I am so pale I didn’t have to use a ton of white makeup to lighten the base of my face ha ha. It did work wonders for highlighting though. I guess that is why I get compared to a porcelain doll all the time ha ha. I was really happy with the way it came out and the reactions I received. I think I look like Annabelle’s cuter younger sister ha ha.

Here are the photos that I shared with them via text and on instagram….

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I captioned the first one “hot date with Jigsaw tonight, eat your heart out Chucky!” and the 2nd one “what happens when you tell a girl too many times that she looks like a porcelain doll”

And here are a few my husband took of me in my brothers yard and in front of our Frankenhearse for fun….

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(On the left is before the rain stopped. We had a canopy over the back of the hearse so it could be open but stay dry but could still be open and on display)

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And it being a tradition my brother took a a photo of Frank and I under the wedding arch we got married under 6 years ago (for those new to my art blog, our wedding anniversary is also on Halloween). We donated the arch to my brother’s Halloween decor stash a few years ago and every time he sets it up we try to make it a point to take a photo under it for fun!

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See more of my Halloween makeup looks I have done on myself and others on the Skinned page of my official website!

Stay Spooky!
LDG Nicole

Skinned| Living Dead Girl Nicole transforms into Marceline The Vampire Queen

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Last night my husband Frank and I attended a Halloween party. I used my makeup skills and transformed myself into Marceline the Vampire Queen and Frank was my Finn. We won best couples costume! Here are some photos from last night of our costumes and my makeup (and yes that is Hambo in my pocket)!

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What are you going as this year?

Stay Spooky!
Living Dead Girl Nicole

Skinned | Living Dead Girl Nicole transforms into the Black Dahlia

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As a Halloween addict everyone usually waits to see what I have up my sleeve for my Halloween costume every year. Well last night I dressed my costume made it’s debut at the Halloween Costume Party and Rock Show that Axe Man’s Bridge (my husband’s band) was performing at. I went all out on my makeup job this year. To the point I could barely laugh or talk and had to drink through a straw all night. However it was well worth it as everyone was quite impressed how I pulled off my tribute to the Black Dahlia AKA Elizabeth Short.

I decided to do a little murder case file collage from the photos I captured of my costume so everyone who couldn’t see it in person could get the full effect…

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Some of you that know me are probably not surprised by my costume choice as I am quite the true crime junkie but mostly because I have always been quite intrigued by the case of the Black Dahlia. I guess you can say I have have always sympathized with Elizabeth and wondered why her case could never be solved. How someone could do something so horrific to another human, put it on display for all to see, and yet never be caught and punished for their actions. Then wonder how many demented people like them are out there in the world right now, doing similar crimes and just walking freely amongst us as we speak. So I guess you can also say I dressed up as a “terrifying reminder”.

When it comes to Special FX makeup it truly is an art form all in itself as you have to be creative in order to try to replicate and transform yourself or someone else into whatever the end goal is. Unfortunately Elizabeth’s corpse and crime scene photos had to be my reference guide in order to get the best replication of her cheshire smile and other wounds on what was her beautiful face. My dress is a genuine black dress from the 40’s that I scored online and I made the blood splattered dahlia flower barrette I adorned in my hair.

I must say this is by far my favorite makeup job I have done on myself that I even decided to enter my costume in the official Alice Cooper Halloween Costume Contest. Fingers crossed! If I win I can finally get a chance to meet Alice and if I did would be incredibly honored to give him a piece of my artwork as a thank you for the opportunity.

To see some of the other makeup looks be sure to check out my Skinned page!

Stay Spooky!
LDG Nicole