Bre (formerly of Make: created a pilot for a fantastic show concept called History Hacker (History Channel). Here’s the teaser:

Just wanted to let you in on a little secret project of mine. I started by combining a few of the best photographs of the It’s a Small World ride facade in paint.net (Windows only), manipulating the images until vertical & horizontal lines were (moire or less) straight. In new layers above the composite image, I drew line-art of the major features of the ride building’s design.

It's a Small World project progress photo, at the top-left you can see my inspiration file. I hope to somehow digitize it to allow you to peruse what fascinates me.

My intention is to cut basswood or balsa to match the individual geometric design elements, then position/arrange & glue them in place to make a faux-3D IASW which I will place in a 20″ x 9″, 1″ deep shadowbox. If it goes easily enough, I’ll probably make a few more to sell on Etsy. I’m still having trouble deciding against taking the time, using thicker basswood planks & carving the elements in relief.

In the most recent Tales From the Laughing Place, there is a feature article on the creation of It’s a Small World for Disney Hong Kong, there is an image of a simplified (and somewhat larger) IASW model. It’s flat, cut to profile & painted like the ride building. It looks like a great re-Make: as a gift for a young child’s.

I’ve picked up some tiny white pumpkins with which I will have my way.

pumpkins on one of my favorite bookshelves

I want to do something nice, I’ll probably try Martha Stewart’s Lacework Pumpkin (previous mention). I am interested in making something that can last. So I’m counting on the fact that they are small to help it (whatever the final result) to hold it’s structure. The only time I’ve seen some scientific method applied to preserving Jack-O-Lanterns, the results were not heartening (see myscienceproject.org). Of course, if I feel like a long-term commitment, I could freeze-dry my art.

I’m also working on part 2 of my pirate cannon instructable and the soon-to-come ship’s helm project. I hope by the new week, to turn this indiscriminate heap of foam into 2 amazing Halloween props:

Halloween pirate foam molding