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the poi dog paradise and Mt Kilahaole volcano unveiled! |
palapala
Tiki Socialite
Joined: Nov 15, 2006
Posts: 240
From: Hale'a'Kenmore, Wash
|  Posted: 2009-03-22 4:45 pm Permalink
the poi dog paradise and Mt Kilahaole volcano unveiled!
After months of slavish and fanatical devotion, flop sweat buckets full of creativity, Lopaka and Palapala would like to
introduce you ( and say E Komo Mai ) Welcome to the Poi Dog Paradise! If you check our earlier posts you can see where it
began in its first incarnation as the Zombie Hut Tiki lounge. This is where we are now. We especially had fun doing our
diorama which is outside the west facing windows. THe space is probably about 50 ft wide, and 6 ft deep, though we have yet
to fill it up all the way. Mt KilaHaole alone takes up about 4 ft tall x 5 ft wide more or less. All the tapa-like stuff
that you'll see on the beams and walls were created by PalaPala using camping foam mats with the patterns burned in with a
wood burning tool. (Still a little high from the fumes). We're especially proud of our indonesian midnight dog mask above
the mantle. We wired that up with LED lights in the eyes and nostrils and used one of the motors from a outdoor christams
reindeer display to make the jaw open and close.
The opening party - Sweetpea, Palapala, Kahlua in the paradise.
The opening party - Happy folk getting their tiki on
The opening party - Happy folk getting their tiki on part 2
Lopaka in his element
Hallway back to the real world
Hallway away from the real world
Indonesian midnight dog mask - "bite ya mode "
Indonesian midnight dog mask - "afta snak"
Southwest corner
Poi Dog Sophie guarding the south end.
South East COrner
UComeLiedown area - Palapala's favorite spot
Towards the bar
Appeasing the referigerator gods
Poi Dog Esme - WhyUNoThrowToy?
Poi Dog Esme is comeStayGo Now?
What'll you have?
Palapala - " I have dirtnapple, but dog no make"
Spring break Barbie's revenge
Virgin sacrifice - really? Heh!
Mt. KilaHaole doing its job
Mt. Kilahaole is a structure of mostly expanding insulating foam,
also know as great stuff from a can - painted with flat black exterior paint, and then touched up on the high points with
one shade lighter of grey. There's an orange Home Depot bucket embedded in it, and a couple pipes for wires and air and a
drainage tube for when it gets freezing outside or cleanout. Inside the bucket is a pond light, and a 3 head electronic
fogger. There's a rope light on the outside underneath red glass pieces siliconed in place for lava flow. All controlable
via X10. A small computer fan is used to push some of the fog out the top.More red glass and sand was placed on top of the
rope light to form a lava river and cute little lava lake where the top half of GI Joe met his sorry end, as
witnessed by scary tiki dude.
GI Joe snakesnack - snake from Archie McPhee's
Barbie trophy heads and huts
When dinnah ready?
PalaPala's ceramic Tiki heads. bright orange inside with room for a light
Lava River
Gi Joe, devil duckies and Tiki dude witness
Shot from north looking south
Door to outside - big smokin' room
close up of printing on door
_________________
Make me somthing Tripical. You know,a mai-tai,with 3 shots of rum!
Is it just me, or do whales look like they're built upside down?
[ This Message was edited by: palapala 2009-03-22 16:50 ]
[ This Message was edited by: palapala 2009-03-22 17:17 ]
[ This Message was edited by: palapala 2009-03-22 17:21 ]
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leleliz
Grand Member (first year) 
Joined: Sep 02, 2008
Posts: 1981
From: NorCal
| Posted: 2009-03-22 4:49 pm Permalink
Wow that looks fab!
Great use of Barbies too 
You guys did an amazing job.
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Dustycajun
Tiki Socialite
Joined: Nov 16, 2007
Posts: 3926
From: Santa Barbara, CA
| Posted: 2009-03-22 5:43 pm Permalink
Palapala,
Fantastic job and fun looking opening event. Congrats on the awesome work. Very inspiring.
DC
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MadDogMike
Grand Member (3 years) 
Joined: Mar 30, 2008
Posts: 6407
From: The Anvil of the Sun
| Posted: 2009-03-22 7:22 pm Permalink
Wonderful! So many great details; the tapa stamping, the turquoise background color, the creative use of pillows, swell looking party, the glass lava river turned out great. The whole diorama made me laugh out loud! Very cool!
Here's a similar volcano I made a few years back. 8 feet tall with room inside for two people to operate the lights, fog machines and giant smoke ring (vortex) generator.
_________________
Clay, the oldest and most divine art media;
"And now, from the clay of the ground, the Lord God formed man" Genesis 2:7
Pirate Ship Tree House
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palapala
Tiki Socialite
Joined: Nov 15, 2006
Posts: 240
From: Hale'a'Kenmore, Wash
| Posted: 2009-03-22 11:28 pm Permalink
Mahaloz 2 u all fo da props!
A lot of what we did in "the Poi Dog"
is from great input that we got from you pro's from TC,(Talkin'about you mad dog...)
just wanna let you all know that you have an invite for a drink and "talk story" when you're in my woodneck,Just outside Seattle. any more ideas for expanding the Diorama?
We also might do some sort of indoor water feature, but nothing too splashy.Might attract the flooded basement demons!
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Robb Hamel
Grand Member (first year)
Joined: Mar 07, 2008
Posts: 1013
From: Ohio
| Posted: 2009-04-06 06:52 am Permalink
I'm not sure I can believe my eyes - the SCALE, - the DETAIL, - the AUDACITY, and of course: THE FUN.
Helluva hangout.
_________________
www.robbhamel.com
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TikiPops
Tiki Socialite
Joined: Jan 11, 2008
Posts: 192
From: Buena Park, Ca.
| Posted: 2009-04-06 8:32 pm Permalink
Wow, what a great job. The each area flows right into the next. I really like the tapa stamping. If you don't mind giving away secrets, what did you crave the stamps out of, & did you use standard interior paint? The umbrella ceiling light covers are a nice touch.
Mike
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Queen Kamehameha
Grand Member (7 years) 
Joined: Oct 21, 2003
Posts: 1370
From: So Cal
| Posted: 2009-04-07 08:56 am Permalink
Really nice, the attention to deal is amazing! As a former Mattel employee, we did a few tiki dioramas ourselves, this one is well done! great indoor space, it looks great!
Amy
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palapala
Tiki Socialite
Joined: Nov 15, 2006
Posts: 240
From: Hale'a'Kenmore, Wash
| Posted: 2009-04-07 11:20 am Permalink
Mahaloz 2 u all fo da attagirlz!
The tapa blocks were made out of a camping mat, as suggested by Howland, in earlier posts.
I used a really cheap ($10) roll of green foam mat, about the size to put under your sleeping bag.I think it was only about 1/2 inch thick. I cut it to the size I wanted with a utility knife, and then drew the pattern on with a sharpie..(I had to keep changing out the sharpie because for some reason,it wouldn't flow well onto the mat.)
Then I used a type of all purpose wood burning tool, to burn in my patterns.
I glued the finished piece onto the same sized piece of plywood, with a bit of molding screwed into it for a handle.
another method I tried that was a bit easier, was to use some of the multi layered packing foam panels that are used to cushion electronics, but it was hard to find, if you don't have it just laying around. this stuff doesn't need handles.
The paint I used was just your average interior latex, though you might want something a bit thinner. I had to keep making sure that it didn't fill up the patterns and obscure the design.
It was a really fun group activity! We even had the neighbors 10 year old daughter, and her friend rolling the paint onto the blocks for us!
When you work, don't forget your Mai-tai, and some lounge music!
A little game came out of this, too!
I made sure that one each of our dog and bird prints were printed upside down.
Now if anyone can find them, they get another drink.
(they would get one anyway, but everyone likes a puzzle!)
_________________
Make me something Tripical. You know,a mai-tai,with 3 shots of rum!
My tiki mugs now on sale! see them at http:\\palapalasmug.etsy.com
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Mr. Pupu Pants
Tiki Socialite
Joined: Mar 06, 2008
Posts: 332
From: Edmonds, WA
| Posted: 2009-04-07 1:49 pm Permalink
Great job you guys!!! What a wonderful home get-away 
Some random ideas for your diorama:
> Build a motorized turntable (BBQ grill motor would work well) into the ground and stand 'island native' dolls in a circle on it to create a miniature version of the headhunters dancing on the Jungle Cruise ride at Disneyland.
> Get one of those self-contained garden waterfalls (the plastic kind you can find at Fred Meyers or other store) and customize/paint it to match the volcano you created. Add lots of miniature jungle foliage and sunbathing and swimming Barbies and you have a jungle oasis with Island beauties.
> Lagoon (using a pond liner) with Gilligan dolls and huts (and make some island headhunter dolls) http://cgi.ebay.com/Gilligans-Island-Limited-Editon-Collectors-Doll-Set_W0QQitemZ180343220163QQcmdZViewItemQQptZLH_DefaultDomain_0?hash=item180343220163&_trksid=p3286.c0.m14&_trkparms=72%3A1205%7C66%3A2%7C65%3A12%7C39%3A1%7C240%3A1318%7C301%3A1%7C293%3A1%7C294%3A50
> Lagoon with outriggers beached on the edge and huts all around.
> Use your stereo (with lots of wall rattling subwoofer) in conjunction with your erupting volcano and some dimmable red lighting to create a fun effect at parties (have it erupt every hour or something). The Barbie doll sacrifice appeases the angry mountain
> Build painted plywood 'flats' to look like a volcanic island mountain range and jungle (possibly apply more of that foam to the plywood to texture the mountains) as a backdrop running the length of the windows . Install white or frosted panes of plexiglass (the kind you get from Home Depot)running behind the mountains and extending all the way up to the overhang to enclose the diorama. During the day, it creates a day-lit sky above a fantasy island background. At night, with blue yard lights shining from behind, it creates a cool evening sky behind silhouetted jungle/mountains. dim down the blue lights and dim up some red lights for an angry red sky volcano effect when the volcano erupts (as above).
Have fun!!!
[ This Message was edited by: Mr. Pupu Pants 2009-04-07 13:54 ]
[ This Message was edited by: Mr. Pupu Pants 2009-04-07 13:56 ]
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palapala
Tiki Socialite
Joined: Nov 15, 2006
Posts: 240
From: Hale'a'Kenmore, Wash
| Posted: 2009-04-07 9:41 pm Permalink
OOOH Mr.3 P!
U have Re-surfaced!
We miss u longtime!
Thanx for the Ideas. I'm yet again overwhelmed by your twisted disney infected brain.. Wanna come help-drink-make-mini-happytime?
how's your project going?
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Mr. Pupu Pants
Tiki Socialite
Joined: Mar 06, 2008
Posts: 332
From: Edmonds, WA
| Posted: 2009-04-30 2:03 pm Permalink
Hi Pala!
How's your diorama coming along?
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palapala
Tiki Socialite
Joined: Nov 15, 2006
Posts: 240
From: Hale'a'Kenmore, Wash
| Posted: 2009-04-30 7:27 pm Permalink
I have'nt been adding to it lately. I've been spending all my time working on my mug line, getting the glazes right is a real challange...
I have to say, as wonderful as most of your suggestions are(other than subsonics, and a light show),they are just too....ummmm ..happy.
I'm kinda going for ominous and Haole unfriendly.I think my next thing will be giant bug attack (from Archee Mcphee's), or maybe that fine old standby, "King Kong". do you have any more suggestions of a more EVIL nature?
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Mr. Pupu Pants
Tiki Socialite
Joined: Mar 06, 2008
Posts: 332
From: Edmonds, WA
| Posted: 2009-05-01 10:09 am Permalink
Hmmmmmm...evil diorama. Let me do some thinking on that
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Mr. Pupu Pants
Tiki Socialite
Joined: Mar 06, 2008
Posts: 332
From: Edmonds, WA
| Posted: 2009-05-04 3:19 pm Permalink
Ok, let's see....something Eeeeeeeevil.
Well, I think the dancing warriors on a turntable can certainly be made to look ominous. Especially if you have them dancing around a flicker bulb fire for a nice creepy lighting effect (plus sound effects of a warrior chant).
You could also make eerily lit miniature temples (with glowing eyed tikis)--possibly lit by miniature flickering torches and an overhead blue (night sky) light
Maybe sculpt a tiki/dog god with glowing eyes, etc. as part of a temple (to go with your theme).
Possibly have it at the top of some kind of a winding stone staircase with a bloody sacrificial stone altar. Maybe even build it onto another miniature mountain. Add some echo-y scary dog bark sound effects.
You know. Evil stuff like that.
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