Go Big or Gourd Home this Halloween

Halloween is tomorrow and you know that at The Orangeblowfish, we go Balls Deep in… everything. Yes, even in Pumpkin.

So if you are happily scratching the surface of Halloween – that is buying mass produced, off-the-shelf Halloween decorations – then this post is not for you. But, if your thirsting for something real – carve a pumpkin and see just how spooky your life can get.

Check out Christine McConnell, one of our favorite “rule breakers”. She combines the competent execution of Martha Stewart with the cheerfully spooky mood of Tim Burton. Her creations fuse extraordinary sculpture and culinary skills – proof that spooky and sweet can certainly coexist.

Source: geniuskitchen

 

Also known as “The Tim Burton of Baked Goods”, Christine McConnell’s hand craftsmanship is a wicked awesome tribute to all things spooky and fun. Artisans like McConnell take risks to incorporate the unpredictable into their craft, making our bones tingle with inspiration and delight! Her new Netflix series titled, “The Curious Creations of Christine McConnell” builds on her beautiful and bizarre Instagram account, with a few monster surprises thrown in. She creeps it real with complete mind and body dedication to her art – handcrafting sculptural creations such as “wolf-claw” donuts, peanut butter and chocolate femur bones, and funeral-themed cakes. After seeing this bewitching Goth goddess and her evil edibles, we’re hungry for more!

Source: miolosfritos

And now it’s time to let go of your inhibitions, and unleash that Halloween spirit!

How to Carve a Pumpkin

First things first, don’t cut yourself. Even though we’re rule breakers, we’re all about Safety First.

 

Tools you’ll need:

Stab your pumpkin.

Be patient, dismemberment takes time. Rip off the lid with your bare hands, open your arms to the sky and shake the earth with your evil laugh. See all the stringy guts dangling? If it was screaming, would you hear it?

 

Raid the pumpkin’s innards.

Scrape the inside walls of the pumpkin with a measuring cup (or ice cream scoop). Any leftover goop will block the light and interfere with your craft, so, clean your pumpkin well! Scrape the loose entrails off the lid while you’re at it. If it is too much effort you can always outsource to your children. Tell them it’s fun. Plus it’s a great way to get them involved!

 

Tattoo the pumpkin’s face.

Break with convention and draw that sucker on with a Sharpie. Hold it all together with duct tape. Just tell the pumpkin not to move. Channel your inner acupuncturist and plot the design about ⅛ inch apart. I’m sure pumpkins can’t feel…much. Or maybe they can. It’s Halloween. Anything is possible.

 

Carve that sucker.

Cut along the dotted lines. Enjoy it. How often in life do we get permission to stab things?

Still need need some inspiration? Check out how The Orangeblowfish did it.

 

Light it up!

Put a lit candle in it and snap 1000 Instagram photos. You’re welcome.

 

Fun fact:

“Gourd” refers to any one of several types of fruits that have a hard shell, and that are used for decoration, and not for eating. For example, pumpkin, melon, squash and cucumber.