Step Forty One: A Spooktacular Pumpkin Garland! ;-)

Dearest Sylwi

This week I decided to do something Halloween themed. I wasn't going to bother, as it's a couple of days late, but today when I sat down to create, I changed my mind.

I sprained my ankle last week, so had a very boring weekend. I spent it propped up on the sofa, with my ankle on ice and I feel as though I completely missed the fun of Halloween. I didn't go out and we weren't visited by any guisers, so it almost feels like it didn't happen! :-(

My initial idea was to create Jack-O'-Lanterns, using old tin cans with holes cut in them and tea lights inside. The idea might work, but it quickly became apparent that it wasn't going to work for me today! I made a big ol' mess of a tin and the edges were extremely jaggy and dangerous, so I decided to try something a little easier! :-)

I know I made paper garlands a few weeks ago, but for some reason, I didn't get them out of my system! :-)

I tried cutting a paper chain of pumpkins, but by the time I had folded the paper, concertina style and attempted to cut through all of the layers, I realised it was too fiddly.

So, I cut a very basic pumpkin shape instead and individually drew on the details and faces. I thought at first it was going to be too much work and very boring indeed, but drawing different faces on each pumpkin turned out to be so much fun. More fun than pumpkin carving (where you only get one shot to carve the face) and nowhere near as messy!

After I had drawn the faces, I cut out some stalks and quilled some thin strips of green to make spindly tendrils...

... and then glued them to my pumpkin heads.

*Eep!* "Please don't give me a hideous hairstyle like the others..."

 I didn't have time to create a pretty set up over which to hang my pumpkin garland...

... which unfortunately meant that the above photo looked fairly boring!

I'm determined that just once during these 52 Steps, I'm going to create a properly styled backdrop for one of my photos! :-)

But, not today!! :-))

However, I did put some effort in and tried to jazz up my pumpkins a bit, by using them as a gift wrap tie.

I'm so glad I did this today! I now feel like Halloween happened and the Jack-O'-Lanterns and their different faces / personalities made me laugh as I drew them!

Right, I'm off to do some more work on the novel I'm writing! {mwah ha ha ha haaaaa!} Not really. I just like saying that!

Well, maybe sort of.

I AM writing a novel, but not one I ever think will be published. I've signed up for NaNoWriMo (National Novel Writing Month). The goal is to write a novel during the month of November - specifically 1,667 words every day, for 30 days, starting on the 1st of November.

Yesterday, I wrote 1,723 words and the high I experienced on finishing, verged on euphoric! :-) However, this morning, I wondered how I shall even write 100 more words on the same subject, let alone 1,667... for 29 more days! :-) ha!

{hee hee! Now, I know how you feel when you're writing your papers!!} ;-)

Whatever the outcome, it feels like a great way to squish my inner critic and write freely for once. To do, rather than just dream... a bit like this 52 Steps challenge! :-)

How was your Halloween? What did you get up to? Did the kids (and you!) love it?!

Lots of love
Fi

xx