Carving Pumpkins

10/30/2014

With it being Hallowe'en tomorrow, I figured it was time to carve the pumpkins. I bought six tiny pumpkins two months ago, but one rotted almost immediately. So there were five pumpkins left.

I can't possibly handle 12 kids in the kitchen at once, so decided to give the job to my newest four dolls, who weren't here last Hallowe'en. I figured there's no point in photographing the same old thing with all the same dolls, so decided to change things up, and just let Lisa, Bonnie, Efreet, and Ringo give it a try this time. They covered the table with a plastic tablecloth, got out some large bowls for the pumpkin innards, and set to work. Lisa did all the initial heavy-duty cutting....cutting off the tops, so the little ones could scrape out the insides......

Efreet and Ringo got right into it, pulling out all the guts, and sorting the seeds....

Bonnie was watching Lisa carve a face onto her pumpkin....

..then decided to do her own thing....and carve a huge spider....

I thought they did a great job!

So now everyone is all excited to try on their costumes....

*To see all the pumpkin and carving photos, check out 'Hallowe'en Pumpkins'

6 Comments

Charie Wilson

10/30/2014 03:16:21 pm

Love the kids pumpkins especially the spider one.
Hugs Charie

Martha

10/31/2014 05:00:24 am

Thanks! I was tired of all the faces, and wanted to do something different.

Jay

10/31/2014 04:49:50 am

I love this! What a lot of work it must have done to do these photos. I'm curious as to how long it took. Would you be willing to share that information? Something this complex would take me all day! And pray the light held!

Martha

10/31/2014 05:13:50 am

I bought the pumpkins way back in early September, as that's the only time they have these kind.

I had to wait until yesterday to carve the pumpkins - wait until I'd finished the last costumes - as the pumpkins tend to shrivel up quite fast, and I wanted them for the costume photos too.

I started around 11am - covered kitchen table with plastic, and cut the tops off the first three, emptied them out, and trimmed the tops. I cut the top off the fourth one, leaving the seeds and innards. Left the last one whole so one of the kids could stick their knife into a whole pumpkin.

After lunch, I set up the box on my counter with the prop table, covered with a plastic table cloth. I use kid's books to elevate the dolls to the proper height. Set up the tripod, and because it was dark and cloudy, so no light bouncing in from outside, I turned on every light in the kitchen. Started with the whole pumpkin and Lisa inserting her knife. Then replaced it with the pumpkin that still had it's innards. Placed pumpkin guts artistically into the bowls, and onto the doll's hands. Then washed everyone's hands, and proceeded to carve all five pumpkins. Took a few more photos with the finished pumpkins. Was done at three, then had to do a quick partial clean up, because I needed the outside light for costume photos, and it's dark by six.

Jane

11/3/2014 02:26:44 am

Thank you so much for sharing all this. I am equally as impressed at your planning skills as I am of your artistic talents.....wow!

And this will never be 'the same old' for me......I love to see yearly traditions again and again and again.
I am so pleased that the new children got lucky this year.

Jay

11/6/2014 01:39:17 am

Wow, that's so awesome hearing your process. So organized! I just really am always so amazed at how your photos always have such excellent scale/perspective--in addition to being beautiful! Thanks for sharing all the detail, Martha. I really enjoyed reading it.

Carving Pumpkins

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