We're Getting There...and Then Thinking Ahead!

It took me three stores but I finally found a saying that spoke to our family...and was the right size...and was the right color. I really felt like I needed to stay in the walnut/shabby white pattern to continue to pull in the two different colors of furniture and make it look intentional.

That saying speaks to me-or at least in the way that I interpret it-because, after so, so many years of all of us always being and doing everything together, we are now at the point where the next generation is beginning their independent lives and our time all together becomes harder and harder to work out. But, when we are together, the amount of love is over whelming!

I'm having a pretty quiet week so I have been looking for some Halloween craft ideas so I can get moving on new decor and gifts. The problem with being a crafter from way back when is that I have pretty much done it all! I'm sure I could re-visit some things and just update them a bit but I really get bored doing things I have already done.

And so, I thought I had hit on a great idea when I decided to make pillow covers for each holiday...until I looked to Pinterest for Halloween inspiration. There were tons of painted pumpkins-and I still may end up doing that-but it kind of has to be a jack-o-lantern to "read" as Halloween for me. And, they all just looked so "cutesy".


And then somewhere along the way (I think in my autumn folder), I saw this.

I found it at fineartamerica.com. In a way, it reminds me of the 4th of July cover I made with the swipes of red, white and blue. It is more what I had in mind and began to wonder what it would look like in orange, black and white. I'm thinking of doing a big block of orange and then putting a jack-o-lantern freezer paper "block" on it and going over it with black and white. Not sure if that is even possible or makes sense but, what have I got to lose but a $2.50 investment for the cover. Let's see how it goes!

I am so flying by the seat of my pants. As I got started on this cover, I realized that making this pillow will involve "blocking" and stenciling the jack-o-lantern. And then, it all turned complicated for me. Once I decided to freehand paint the stem things got a bit clearer but I will admit, as feeble as my quick sketch is, it gave me a reference point as to where the color blocks should be-or, at least a jumping off point because this is one of those projects that I tweak all the way to the end.

I started off here.

Once I knew how much of the bottom right quadrant had to be orange, I went here.

My next step was to cut the jack out of freezer paper and iron him on over the orange. I then started pulling in the black so the orange pumpkin will have definition once I remove the block. I also filled in the eyes with black. I was a bit nervous to pull off the block as the freezer paper didn't adhere as well as it has in the past. I don't know if that is because I was ironing it on to a painted surface or because I had the iron set for steam when I first started. Fingers crossed!

The freezer paper pulled off fine and then the fun began. I just started painting on strips of Halloween color and here is where I am now...after I just free handed the stem.

I'm going to wait for it to get totally dry and then probably tweak just a bit more but, to be honest, it is not what I wanted. I didn't want "cutesy" and I couldn't have gotten closer to that if I tried. I think I might be happier if I had just brushed on the strokes of color and left it at that-no jack-o-lantern. This will probably end up in the sunroom where things seem to get a bit cuter because it is where the kids and I gather for crafts, food, games, etc. But, I'm pretty sure I won't be making any more jack-o-lantern pillows this year. Time for "take 2"!

Now that it has a form inside and is a bit fluffed out, I think it may soon be very happy right here. Stay tuned.