Pumpkin carving gone wild

Nardone takes this seasonal art form to a new level with funny, sometimes shocking results. Some of his creations include a ‘flowing blood’ pumpkin that has a pump circulating cherry kool-aid from a plate up through the ‘head’ to pour out holes in the top. Another one portrays siamese twins, (joined at the head of course). Then there’s the head-on-fire pumpkin, one that’s definitely not recommended for flammable surroundings.

Nardone holds a pumpkin carving contest each year and photos of winning entries are posted on his site. Some of the more outstanding submissions include the inside-out pumpkin, a moldy skull carved out of a pear-shaped pumpkin, and a strangled pumpkin that uses small gourds, a hot pepper and large nails to great effect.

His alternative approach to jack-o-lanterns starts with the use of 3D software to flesh out designs. Once perfected, the design is transferred to translucent paper, pinned on the pumpkin and transmitted by poking closely spaced holes through the paper along the lines.

Another thing that sets Nardone apart from the average carver is his use of power tools. Yup. He advocates the use of a jigsaw with a cautionary note that it’s “a lot like driving on ice�. He sometimes uses a router for removing the skin.

In August 2005, Martha Stewart’s producers asked Nardone if he would carve pumpkins with her on air. Some of the design sketches he prepared for the event include a cannibalistic pumpkin (a full-sized one gripping a miniature between it’s teeth), a pumpkin with candy gummy worms crawling out of holes drilled in the head, and a devil with horns made from carrots.

Nardone’s ever-active imagination has also pondered the construction of candy traps.

“One of my favorite houses to visit when I was a kid was a house where they would play a prank on you. The Mom would answer the door with the candy. While you were distracted, the Dad would leap out of the bushes in a Gorilla suit and scare the heck out of you,� he wrote on his website.

In an effort to bring some of that old-style fun back into trick or treating, he includes designs for a human-sized mousetrap baited with candy, a candy maze, and a candy-guarding guillotine along with others.

Extremepumpkins.com is recommended for those who don’t offend easily. Be aware that Nardone also provides links to his other businesses from this site, including the world’s most private drugstore and bachelorette.com. Adult supervision is advised.

As the spooky season approaches, Nardone is in considerable demand for media interviews. He’s even appeared on CNN on Halloween night and enjoys the publicity.

“This is a HUGE treat for me. I enjoy the process and I really put a lot of thought into the presentation I will give the audience. Myself and the TV folks always have a fun time getting into the halloween spirit,� he says.

In closing, this week’s tip provided by Community Blooms is: Clean neighborhoods and business areas have a better chance of attracting new business than those where litter is common. Concentrate on keeping your yards, homes, apartments, businesses, roadways, alleys, ditches and neighborhoods clean by picking up trash and debris.