This year I got to add to my skeleton CarnEVIL by adding a trapeze artist! I’ve named her Barbette.
First, some details about her costume which was inspired by a few different photos and illustrations of vintage female trapeze artists and made completely from stash.
A two-piece outfit with briefs with a tutu-esque ruffle and a halter top made with a very tiny belt rescued from the GW bins probably 20 years ago.
A headpieces using 2 different scraps of 1" elastic, gold-sprayed leaves from a dollar store rose, and bead I was given.
A cape that blows in the breeze, giving her implied motion. We can actually see her from our deck, mostly because her gold cape captures the eye!
At the last minute I realized all the images I had of real trapese artist were wearing little ballet shoes (not toe shoes) and I contemplated the task of making some when I realized I had several pairs of peds that barely work for me and could easily sacrifice a pair for this. I chose black to tie in with her headband and also gave them a misting of gold spray paint. I used steel cans from the recycling for that!
Her trapeze is made with PVC pipe painted “steel” and retired rock climbing rope I was given years ago. I attached a small wooden seat to the PVC to make it easier to secure the skeleton. It’s painted black to hopefully disappear a bit. I spent $5.92 for eye bolts and carabiners, but the rest of the trapeze is also from stash!
TheMisterT trimmed away some branches so she could hang from this tree. The branch she is hanging from is only ~10’ (3m) off the ground, so we were able to get her up there by parking the UTV (snow plow) under it and standing in the bed.
I think I should’ve gotten a picture from closer to her level and may try to get one today or tomorrow. Vivienne did not trust her at all when she was in the house, but seems to not be bothered with her outside.
The whole CarnEVIL is near where the road goes through our property which is rather steeply graded uphill, so I think from the road she appears quite a bit higher than the 6’ (~2m) her seat is from the ground.
The 3 of them are not in-your-face which I think is more creepy and the fact that they might startle passersby is worth the fact that passersby might miss them altogether. Also notable is that almost no one drives or walks by! One neighbor jogs most days and one neighbor would be pointed right at this when they turn into their driveway, but mostly I think it would be UPS, FedEx, Amazon who might see it. 
Each of the CarnEVIL members has a solar spot light so they might be more noticeable at night. It was very overcast yesterday and hers only had a couple hours to charge, so was not very bright.
The whole time I was out there trying to capture the CarnEVIL at night, I got the sense that I was not alone…
