[AnnieB3]

Okay, Jana, you asked for it! I hope you guys can share what you've done too. The top two are my homage to Aztec and Mayan designs. Frankly, these are not the best ones I've done. I'll attach one of my favorites too.

Anyone can do this. It's really simple. Choose one or two shapes you really like. Start drawing (aka doodling) them on a piece of paper (with a pencil) in a way that looks good to you. Really, it's that easy.

Sometimes, if you flip what you've drawn 180 degrees, you'd be amazed at what your mind drew upside down!

I have one more to do tomorrow. Who knows if my back, hands, arms or breathing can deal with that. I'm pretty sure this is my last year of carving. The pumpkins keep getting smaller and I keep getting weaker. Thanks a lot, MG.



Annie

[mrsD]

They are wonderful! Looks like fun.

I found my avatar on a pumpkin page...for cats.

This one looks like our little Maya, our new black kitten. She scampers around playing with Weezie with a similar pose. LOL

I confess I didn't carve it...

[Anacrusis]

My GOODNESS!

I´d give up my day job if I could do that

I would like to fly over and personally escort that worm back home to live with me!!!!

[christa]

Oh goodness Annie! Those are beautiful, thank you for sharing!

[southblues]

Those are awesome!!! You can't give up pumpkin carving. Nope. It just won't do. You are just going to have to get better by next year.

[jana]

I'm just STUNNED! These are soooooo AWESOME!!

I'd be wanting to figure out some way to preserve em -- so I could put em on permanent display in my house. Just KILLS me that in a week or two these will be mush.

Annie, you have got SOME steady hand -- and of course, artistic talent out the WHAZOO!!!

I was watching the Today Show this morning -- they put Mr. Potato Head's parts on a pumpkin and I thought.........yeah, I could probably manage that!!

[Heat Intolerant]

Originally Posted by AnnieB3

Who knows if my back, hands, arms or breathing can deal with that. I'm pretty sure this is my last year of carving.

I avoided tasks like this most my whole life without even thinking about it consciously.

Can all women with normal health do this without trouble breathing and feeling weakness in their hands afterwards? Does it depend on the how good the knife is?

The thought ... it looks too hard really (for the above reasons, takes longer to get to my back). But nobody ever told me I should be able to do this...

I'll see if I can get a pumpkin, probably a fairly small or tiny one, tonight to figure out if I can carve it comfortably. Maybe I'll report back and maybe I'll find that I think the skin is easy to get through but I sort of doubt it.

Of course, if I do it, it'll be my first year of carving ...

[ginnie]

Hello Annie, your pumpkins are fantastic! After knowing what I can do with a pumpkin, mine is cooked..... Thank you for sharing that talent of yours. I hope you get into some kind of contest!!!! ginnie

[AnnieB3]

Thanks, guys. Where are yours?!

Heat Intolerant, I'm a designer so cutting stuff is "easier" for me. I've been cutting, sculpting, designing since high school. You can always draw a cool pumpkin and make someone else carve it! I taught my ten year old nephew how to draw a pumpkin (see first one below). ANYONE can do this if taught how to think creatively!

I took 3 of those tiny pumpkins and did the below. Oh, COME ON, you guys can do THAT!!!

The price of doing this, however, is having an oxygen saturation sliding into the 80's and a body incapable of movement or thought.

My first shih-tzu had pulmonary hypertension. Basically, she couldn't breathe towards the end. She still wanted to play and run outside. That kind of tenacious spirit is great but it's deceptive.

When I get going on a creative process, I sort of get in a zone. Adrenaline gets pumped up and gives me the illusion I can do something and have MG too. Now reality has set in. I'm so weak that I can't raise my arm and my back isn't better with Tylenol.

Ginny, I think if I did it for a contest, I wouldn't want to do it. I like that I just do it for fun. I wasn't very motivated this year though. Just a little too depressed I think. Or not depressed enough.

Jana, That's why I take photos right away. They last nearly forever. I have a book of them. I printed some photos out for our door, just in case I couldn't carve. Transparencies are cool too.

Okay, arms aren't working. Glad you guys enjoyed them. Oh, I got #5 done. I just have to take the pins out so that the squirrels can enjoy them too.

I hope you guys had a nice Halloween.

[ginnie]

Sorry the MG gets in the way of your creativity. That happened to me too. I sculpted for 35 years, and had to give it up. I asked about "showing" or "contests" as that was a hoot for me. I did shows coast to coast and always had a piece in the "exihibition room" It did alot for my self exteme, and spurred me on to new directions I never thought I could do. No regrets for the years I put in.
I carved pumpkins, on a much much smaller level. 1" and under. Using a small styrofoam ball, coating with polymer clay, baking, then carving. I used a single christmas tree light for the lighting of it. Used very fine exacto knives used for wood caring. I was pretty good, but not near the intricate things you have accomplished. I appreciate anothers talents very much. Keep carving as long as you can! ginnie