Old Man – last Pumpkin

 

This is the last pumpkin for now…  I have to focus on the Mad Hatter Experience for the next several months.

Old Man is my favorite!  His colors came out perfect (other than the top, I’m still working on).  He was made again with 6 inch base/top, 10.5 inch strips.      If you have been reading the other posts, I will not bore you with duplicating it here.   Instead, here he is….

Hope you can see this!

 

Mr Smirk

Now this little guy I used a 6 inch base/top with  10.5 inch strip that are 1.5 wide.   He was a fun one, I must say these smaller ones are easy to handle.  They can still take some time, if given the details.    I may just have to make more of these when time allows.

Yes, once again I still need to paint the top

 

 

 

Then we have the side view of him           and then looking out from his insides. (seems like I don’t know how to upload these)

From the inside of Mr smirk

Mr Mad at the World

 

If you have been following the posts about making pumpkins, this is from the link on how to make the “form”.    For This pumpkin I wanted a taller and slender pumpkin.  Therefore I made a 8 inch base/top with 22 inch strips but kept the strips at 1.5 inches.

Once I started applying the paper mache I knew we had a problem.   The strips  became heavy and started to cave inward.  I had to think fast so, I decided to finish at the 1/2 way down the pumpkin and I would “fill” in the spaces….building it back up.

This was a process that took several days.  Each day I would apply a build up, then waited for it to dry.  Then started building up another area, and waiting for it to dry.

Once I had the desire look of a “not so perfect” pumpkin I carved out the face.   Then I added cereal box strips to define the eyes and nose.   The only sanding I did was the areas that had a sharp point.  I know pumpkins are not perfect looking and I did not want mine to be either.  I’m happy on how they all turned out.

After the face had the strips attached to them I applied paper mache again.  The last thing to do after everything had dried is to cut out the top.  This has been very difficult for me because once I have it cut.  I have to add paper mache again to the top to make sure no light comes through.  You will see in the pictures…it’s not a pretty sight.

More paper Mache’

 

 

 

 

 

 

My kitchen counter became a work station for a few weeks.  It was a mes but I had so much fun.    Below is where I had to hold up his teeth so that they would not cave in while drying.   I’m glad it worked!

Building it up

\

 

 

 

 

 

 

And in all his glory… here is Mr. Mad at the World –  the top still needs to be painted but other than that…it’s done!

 

The Mad Hatter Experience

If anyone knows my daughter and I, they would understand what we’re about to start.   Since we love Halloween and her birthday is just a few days after that.  She decided that for her 25th birthday she wanted to throw a small get together BUT….  a theme.   So here comes the Mad Hatter/Alice in Wonderland Experience.   Over the past few days I feel like saying  “Would you tell me, please, which way I ought to go from here?

The to do list:

Clothing  – part of this will be from my Halloween costume

location – backyard

food – undecided but we have an idea

invites –  still being narrowed down

tables

mismatch chairs

mismatch china

table clothes (dye to color)

fence covers (dye to color)

Chair covers (dye to color)

Decoration (see below)

photo booth props

photo booth backdrop

candy holder (paper cones to be made)

pinwheels (to be made for table decor, yard decor and everywhere else)

pocket watches (paper mache –  hanging and table decor)

flamingo croquet (maybe paper mache)

to be continued…………….

Can I say it again?    “Would you tell me, please, which way I ought to go from here?

More pumpkins coming

 

Well,  Mr Spider now has company.  We have Old Man, Mad at the world and smirk.

Old man and smirk are used with the same size form.  Old Man, I wanted a taller, slender pumpkin so I used 22 inch strips on him…. it didn’t work.

I will do a new post for each pumpkin over the next few days.   I have been thrown into a whirlwind with a new HUGE project that is due at the same time as Halloween.

Again, this new projected will be blogged about (hope I do a better job of it that I have so far).   But to give you a sneak peek at it…   I’m making (so far ALL) the decoration for a Mad Hatter Tea Party – for my daughters 25th birthday.    It’s just a few days after Halloween and we’ve done a costume party before when she was 3 years old.  But this is not a “costume” party, we want people to dress in funky, off the wall, not in street clothes.    OOPS, I’ve giving way to much away here.   Need to follow along as the progress and pictures will follow.

 

Stay Tune!