Sat Nov 08, 2014 11:02 am
#90703
Finally found the time to sort through my 2014 pumpkin photography. On with the show!
Let's begin with the classic looking Scaredy Cat. I imagine this cat has spent his life catching birds, and is now being haunted by the skeletal spirit of one of his formerly feathered victims. Also notice the mouse trying to climb into the lid.
Speaking of scared, the Scared to Death skull looks even more panicked when he has spindly arms outstretched in fear.
This scary teddy was one of my new Halloween purchases this year, and he inspired his own Teddy Fear pattern. I'm happy with this photo, it looks like he's climbing onto the pumpkins.
Here's one in foam, which I spray painted black and speckled with green. Regan and her possessive demon lurking in the background.
An alternate Exorcist shot is next, this time Regan is communing with Captain Howdy via Ouija board.
Next, here's the Witch from Snow White. She's offering two apples here, one carved into the design, and one in reality. Added some lit branches as if she's just arrived through the forest.
I knew some trick-or-treaters would recognize the Witch, but in an effort to really give the kiddies some chills, I knew I had to carve some Frozen pumpkins. So I did both Elsa and Anna on one pumpkin.
For Olaf, I could NOT resist stacking pumpkins. Head and arms on top, his "butt" on the lower pumpkin. C'mon, it just seems natural, right? "Do you wanna build a snowmaaaaan?"
A double-carve and a stacked snowman. Made for a unique Frozen display. The small highlights in the eyes of the princesses was done with a power drill. I also considered adding a layer of "frost" on top with that spray snow that comes in a can. But I canned that idea when I read "flammable, keep away from candle flame" on the warning label. Didn't want to accidentally make some toasted marshmallows.
I carved Slimer in a watermelon this summer, but he just had to be reincarnated for this Halloween's Ghostbuster celebration. I projected a slime splat behind him, as if he just flew through the wall and left his mark.
And then came the epic undertaking of carving all four Ghostbusters onto a single pumpkin. What made it challenging was that the pumpkin was a cumbersome 50 pounds! When I cut it open, I noticed that there wasn't much inside to scoop out. Which seemed convenient at first, until I realized that meant the bulk of the pumpkin's weight was in the pumpkin shell itself.
I staggered the 'busters so the designs sort of interlocked. It ended up looking like a Mount Rushmore of ghost exterminators instead of US Presidents. You can just about see all 4 faces at once, but here's a turn around to give each guy a moment in the spotlight:
The white fabric in the background is meant to be reminiscent of the curtains in the hallway of the Sedgewick Hotel where the guys first encountered Slimer.
And of course, here's Slimer grouped with the guys, threatening to leave his ectoplasmic calling card. I like that you can't see what Slimer is propped on, so he almost looks like he's flying behind them.
Group shot time! 9 pumpkins, but character 12 stencils used.
This next one isn't the best photo (it was starting to rain) but shows how we had them displayed in the yard on Halloween night. My cousins came with Doctor Who and American Horror Story pumpkins to add to the group (they're on the left side of the porch steps).
Notice that I had the Frozen girls raised up to kid height, and placed slightly in front. I knew the kids would spot them right away. And sure enough...
When you're waiting for candy-seeking kids to arrive, usually a doorbell ring lets you know they're outside your door. But this year the cue to answer the door was the sound of each kid shouting "Hey, it's Elsa and Anna! Oh, and they have Olaf!" Boy, if I didn't already know the character names before Halloween, it would surely be drilled into me by the end of this night. Also, one little girl demanded to know, "Where's Kristoff!" She seemed offended that I left out that character. Sorry kid, can't have it all.
The Frozen pumpkins were in danger of taking attention away from my other pumpkins, like the Ghostbusters quartet which was a lot of work. I purposefully placed the Ghostbusters next to and slightly behind the Frozen pumpkins, so that every time a parent took a picture of their daughter dressed as Elsa (and there were a LOT) next to the Frozen pumpkins, they'd also have to get the Ghostbusters in the shot. Haha. The GB boys were lost on the little kids,BUT their parents are just the right age to be nostalgic for 80s comedy. So thankfully the boys in grey got lots of attention from those parents!
Overall, the reaction to the pumpkins was great. Almost every trick-or-treater and their parents were complimenting the carving. Everyone was taking photos. They seemed more interested in the pumpkins than the candy. It's a lot of work, but the reactions make it worth it. Not to mention, I now have these photos that will never rot or mold. It was a good year.
Couldn't have put on this display by myself. Carving credit: I carved Ray, Peter, Egon, Winston, Regan, Exorcist Demon, Elsa, Anna, Teddy Fear, and Scaredy Cat. My mom carved Scared to Death, Olaf, Snow White Witch, and Slimer. My cousin and her friend carved the 11th Doctor and Twisty the Clown.
Let's begin with the classic looking Scaredy Cat. I imagine this cat has spent his life catching birds, and is now being haunted by the skeletal spirit of one of his formerly feathered victims. Also notice the mouse trying to climb into the lid.
Speaking of scared, the Scared to Death skull looks even more panicked when he has spindly arms outstretched in fear.
This scary teddy was one of my new Halloween purchases this year, and he inspired his own Teddy Fear pattern. I'm happy with this photo, it looks like he's climbing onto the pumpkins.
Here's one in foam, which I spray painted black and speckled with green. Regan and her possessive demon lurking in the background.
An alternate Exorcist shot is next, this time Regan is communing with Captain Howdy via Ouija board.
Next, here's the Witch from Snow White. She's offering two apples here, one carved into the design, and one in reality. Added some lit branches as if she's just arrived through the forest.
I knew some trick-or-treaters would recognize the Witch, but in an effort to really give the kiddies some chills, I knew I had to carve some Frozen pumpkins. So I did both Elsa and Anna on one pumpkin.
For Olaf, I could NOT resist stacking pumpkins. Head and arms on top, his "butt" on the lower pumpkin. C'mon, it just seems natural, right? "Do you wanna build a snowmaaaaan?"
A double-carve and a stacked snowman. Made for a unique Frozen display. The small highlights in the eyes of the princesses was done with a power drill. I also considered adding a layer of "frost" on top with that spray snow that comes in a can. But I canned that idea when I read "flammable, keep away from candle flame" on the warning label. Didn't want to accidentally make some toasted marshmallows.
I carved Slimer in a watermelon this summer, but he just had to be reincarnated for this Halloween's Ghostbuster celebration. I projected a slime splat behind him, as if he just flew through the wall and left his mark.
And then came the epic undertaking of carving all four Ghostbusters onto a single pumpkin. What made it challenging was that the pumpkin was a cumbersome 50 pounds! When I cut it open, I noticed that there wasn't much inside to scoop out. Which seemed convenient at first, until I realized that meant the bulk of the pumpkin's weight was in the pumpkin shell itself.
I staggered the 'busters so the designs sort of interlocked. It ended up looking like a Mount Rushmore of ghost exterminators instead of US Presidents. You can just about see all 4 faces at once, but here's a turn around to give each guy a moment in the spotlight:
The white fabric in the background is meant to be reminiscent of the curtains in the hallway of the Sedgewick Hotel where the guys first encountered Slimer.
And of course, here's Slimer grouped with the guys, threatening to leave his ectoplasmic calling card. I like that you can't see what Slimer is propped on, so he almost looks like he's flying behind them.
Group shot time! 9 pumpkins, but character 12 stencils used.
This next one isn't the best photo (it was starting to rain) but shows how we had them displayed in the yard on Halloween night. My cousins came with Doctor Who and American Horror Story pumpkins to add to the group (they're on the left side of the porch steps).
Notice that I had the Frozen girls raised up to kid height, and placed slightly in front. I knew the kids would spot them right away. And sure enough...
When you're waiting for candy-seeking kids to arrive, usually a doorbell ring lets you know they're outside your door. But this year the cue to answer the door was the sound of each kid shouting "Hey, it's Elsa and Anna! Oh, and they have Olaf!" Boy, if I didn't already know the character names before Halloween, it would surely be drilled into me by the end of this night. Also, one little girl demanded to know, "Where's Kristoff!" She seemed offended that I left out that character. Sorry kid, can't have it all.
The Frozen pumpkins were in danger of taking attention away from my other pumpkins, like the Ghostbusters quartet which was a lot of work. I purposefully placed the Ghostbusters next to and slightly behind the Frozen pumpkins, so that every time a parent took a picture of their daughter dressed as Elsa (and there were a LOT) next to the Frozen pumpkins, they'd also have to get the Ghostbusters in the shot. Haha. The GB boys were lost on the little kids,BUT their parents are just the right age to be nostalgic for 80s comedy. So thankfully the boys in grey got lots of attention from those parents!
Overall, the reaction to the pumpkins was great. Almost every trick-or-treater and their parents were complimenting the carving. Everyone was taking photos. They seemed more interested in the pumpkins than the candy. It's a lot of work, but the reactions make it worth it. Not to mention, I now have these photos that will never rot or mold. It was a good year.
Couldn't have put on this display by myself. Carving credit: I carved Ray, Peter, Egon, Winston, Regan, Exorcist Demon, Elsa, Anna, Teddy Fear, and Scaredy Cat. My mom carved Scared to Death, Olaf, Snow White Witch, and Slimer. My cousin and her friend carved the 11th Doctor and Twisty the Clown.
Congratulations on a wonderful year of carving and patterns making. May the next big holiday be a little quieter for you. *cough although a Scrooge pattern wouldn't go a miss *cough *cough* 
