Let's Trade! Tombstone for Carved Pumpkin

**Terra** · 09-26-2011,07:08 AM

Andretti and I have been admiring each other's work this past year and we decided to trade. A tombstone for a carved pumpkin. I picked to have my avatar carved into the pumpkin. Well, here it is!

I mean WOW! I've never seen one of these intricately carved pumpkins live and in the daylight. Was stunned at how many tiny carves and cuts goes into these works of art. Then, when you light it up, it floors you! I love my pumpkin so much and thank you Andretti for making it specially for me. What a treasure. If you haven't seen Andretti's work yet, here's a vid:

Proud new owner:

Andretti and his family were wonderful! Met his lovely wife and cute daughter (who just had gotten a pink cast for her broken arm - poor darling). It was a fun visit and hope to meet again

Andretti requested a Doc Holliday tombstone. What form that would take was up to me:

It's using the new technique from the Demon Horse to have it lit from within.

Since there was a lot of LED rope lighting left, decided to use that as an advantage and wrap it around the outside perimeter so the tombstone has it's own outer lighting:

Andretti had just one request and it was to try to use this Spooky Eyes portrait of Doc Holliday found at eBay. The eyes follow you! Check it out:

So glad we made this trade! Thanks Andretti again. The pumpkin is beautiful. Hubby asked me before he left for work if I was going to rush downstairs and hug the pumpkin again. I said "No, I'll wait until you pull out of the driveway."

**Pumpkin Eater** · 09-26-2011,07:15 AM

That's really cool, the tombstone and pumpkin. I need t learn how to make a tombstone.

**gr8johnson** · 09-26-2011,08:00 AM

You two are amazing. The best at your crafts. I could could sit and look at your works all day. Thanks for sharing.

**Andretti** · 09-26-2011,12:55 PM

Originally Posted by gr8johnson

You two are amazing. The best at your crafts. I could could sit and look at your works all day. Thanks for sharing.

Thanks for the nice comments.

Terra, it was (and is) my absolute pleasure to have worked out the trade. I couldnt be more thrilled about my new tombstone.

Andretti

**DannyK** · 09-26-2011,01:20 PM

the work that both of you didhere was top notch...really inspires me to go grab a few of those 40% off fake pumpkins at Joanne's and try my hand at some carving!! (I already know that I stink at tombstones!)

dK

**Andretti** · 09-26-2011,02:03 PM

Originally Posted by DannyK

the work that both of you didhere was top notch...really inspires me to go grab a few of those 40% off fake pumpkins at Joanne's and try my hand at some carving!! (I already know that I stink at tombstones!)

dK

Not to discourage you....but if your gonna grab any?? Go to Michaels (they run coupons constantly and you should be able to find a 40% off one easily). The pumpkins they sell there are called 'craft pumpkins' or 'gemmy' pumpkins. The ones that Joanne's carries are called 'Funkins'. Both are created by using foam...but the funkins are much more dense and tough to deal with (the shape of them is a bit of an issue, where the crevasses are more obvious and therefore cause more difficulty carving and ultimately, can make the pattern a bit more distorted).

I do know plenty of those that do carve on the funkins and do fine by them....but given the choice? I think you'd find the ones at Michaels much easier to deal with...all around, from beginning to finished product.

Just a thought.

Also....from preparing to carve to finishing it....here is a link to Stoneykins that gives an excellent tutorial:

http://www.stoneykins.com/Forum/view...php?f=9&t=2308

Andretti

**Pumpkinprincess** · 09-26-2011,02:30 PM

Awesome work, guys!

**obcessedwithit** · 09-26-2011,04:18 PM

whoa, great work guys, I love those, and also am a fan of the old west guys...the rope light is an awesome idea, hope you don't mind if I borrow.....................