Wow, Halloween was my first thought. I do it up big every year. I am looking into this. Thanks

Yeah. Definite Halloween possibilities. I was actually looking for new ideas for decorations and props already when I found the GID site. I'm always trying to find new mediums to work with. I learned about hypertufa a couple of years ago while I was researching papier mache.

Hypertufa is perfect for so many Halloween props - tombstones, gargoyles, 'stone' walls - because it is lightweight, versatile - even the recipe is versatile! - and so durable. You can even make a realistic cauldron that will hold water - not easy to do with papier mache.

I've always taken pride in making my holiday props as inexpensively - okay, as cheaply - as possible, and it just about kills me to have buy building materials, especially if I can't get a bargain. In fact, the garbage collectors in our neighborhood know me now and often will help me load discarded things like lumber and plywood in my truck. (Should I be embarrassed to admit that? :))

But the possibilities of Glow in the Dark hypertufa are so intriguing to me that I'm willing to blow my budget just this once to experiment.

However...
if anyone can find a source for the powdered pigment that offers more reasonable prices, please post them or email me.
You'll have my eternal gratitude.

Thanks

***I've always taken pride in making my holiday props as inexpensively - okay, as cheaply - as possible, and it just about kills me to have buy building materials, especially if I can't get a bargain. In fact, the garbage collectors in our neighborhood know me now and often will help me load discarded things like lumber and plywood in my truck. (Should I be embarrassed to admit that? :))***

Nashi-

Heck NO! Never be embarrassed to harvest what others toss aside. It's only when you start taking things out of people's hands as they're using them that your motives become questionable. (I've never actually TAKEN things in this manner, but I've often fantasized about it..(singed but unrepentant ;D)

Dumpster diving and scrounging are perfectly honorable pursuits. You are saving items from the landfills and when you put those items to good use you are recycling in the truest sense of the word.

See if you have a Freecycle group in your area. It's a great source of astounding amounts of stuff that folks don't want any longer, but don't want to haul away.

Hold your head high, Nashi, you are one of many. BTW, it's great that you have others looking out for things you want. I try my best to have as many folks keeping an eye out for assorted and sundry stuff that I use, such as concrete blocks, for instance....

In fact, I was passing the site of a torn-down building last night and there was a HUGE pile of cement blocks that had once been the walls. I'm going back today to see if I can have any (or all) of them. They will make a great support for my semi-trailer storage unit and the leftovers will be a great base for the wall I'm building around my property.

I'm also trying to hook up with local contractors who have bits and pieces left over. If they'll tell me when they're available, I'll be more than happy to swing by and load up whatever is available, such as pieces of lath, lumber etc from the dumpster or trashpile.

Another thing I do is watch the roadsides as I commute to and from work. I've found lots of coolers that are missing tops, milk crates, cable (filled with copper wire), etc. that I can use around the yard/house.

Scrounge on, Nashi!

Jo

I am all for scrounging. You may be interested to know that many years ago I built a fantastic patio out of discarded marble slabs (mostly irregular large chunks). Saw an ad in the paper---$10, for all you can load in a pick up. Off we went with our $10, and came home with a vast assortment of polished marbles pieces. We poured a concrete foundation and while it was still wet and gloppy, pushed in the slabs. It was a bit tedious, as the slabs were different thicknesses--ranging from 1"to 3". We used a level, and worked slowly. It was a most beautiful patio when completed. Archer4

MuddyMesaWoman, a Freecycle group? I've never heard of that, but it definitely sounds worth looking into. Thanks.

Archer4, that sounds wonderful. And I've always found the satisfaction of being able to look at a project and say to myself and anyone who cares to listen, "I made this," more than worth the extra sweat and effort.

A few years ago my husband and I built a nice greenhouse and some work tables using scrounged lumber, an old storm door, and a couple of discarded wooden pallets. We bought professional greenhouse plastic, but that was our only expense! The following spring, it was so nice to step inside on a rainy, nippy day and enjoy the warm earthy atmosphere while tending to my seedlings. We had to leave the greenhouse behind we when moved, and I really miss it. I want another one, but after that experience, I'm not sure it would be nearly as satisfying to put together a kit. Guess I need to start scrounging a little more seriously - I think I've got a new goal!

Nashi

What about a couple packets of the glow in the dark plastic stars from the dollar store? Maybe you could pop them in a blender and make "glow dust" to add to your project for cheap money!

PS I have never done any of this Hypertufa craft but it sure looks like fun!

Leasa

OH! I think if you got those stars and put them into your mold and tufaed over them, you would have an interesting item! I wish we had those glow stars at our dollar store. :( Leasa, your aught to make some tufa, it is fun.
Jo

Be careful with glow in the dark anything. I have never seen anything that glows for longer than 2 minutes when charged with a light. In the 1970s they used to glow much longer, but I think they used radium, which is now a known carcinogen.

In a nutshell, it may not really glow that long.

This powder I got glows for hours! I don't know how they are making this stuff nowadays, but it is more luminous and glows for a long period of time, then the stuff we had as kids. I sure hope it's safe, haven't asked that question, but I know it will still be glowing even after heating it to 1800 degrees! Chuck, you would like this stuff, but yes, be careful.
Jo

Gottatufa- Do you have any pictures of your work? Which type did you get? What did you use it on/in?
Paws

This is the company I got my powder from. http://www.glowinc.com/
Very helpful people, and nice product. I use it in my glass right now, but am planning to do sidewalk edging like a mower strip in tufa with a slurry of glow powder in portland & sand stenciled over the top. It's so expensive, so you really couldn't mix it in. I will stencil some over a stepping stone and see if I can get pictures of it.

That is what I want to see. Stepping stones that glow. Would be nice for the yard plus freak out the neighbors. Too bad it is so expensive.
Paws

Here is what I found on the web a while back.Look at the very top and very bottom of page. Interesting effect.

Here is a link that might be useful: Glowing stepping stones

Hey, gototufa,
Thank you, GID pavers is something I`ve been trying to figure out how to do for a while. Yet another newbie at this game, so struggling(from teminology to sourcing stuff in Oz) Thinking that ona paver, GID stuff could just be poured into the relief area?? Can preety much gaurantee you that`s it`s noxious stuff, and again, will it glow for long, and where in Oz do I source it!? Excited all the same.

We can be done with artificial luminous stone, It can glow more than 12hours.