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August 24

All artificial pumpkins have been removed. Various stages of seams being sealed and white layer put on in readiness for paint.

Yes, you see a tube sticking out of one of the bottoms. These will all be on tubes that attach to boxes. All different heights and expressions.

Easier to see in daytime?

When instructions tell you to mix paste or boil paper for pulp in a BIG pot, don't underestimate how much will boil over onto the stove. Get out the biggest pot you own and leave plenty of head room.

When they say "boil the heck out of it", do so. It's easier to mash up pulp that has been boiled into submission. (pay me now or pay me later)

Do not put hollow form between knees to add post until you're sure you won't dent it.

JRT's who MUST see what you're doing will need baths later. Don't know what a JRT is? Click here to see the sticky one. She belongs to my neighbor but she has stolen my heart.

Nosy birds who think your paste smells tasty will only walk on your still-sticky work area once. And do the two-step while trying to disengage and fly away. (video later if I can catch 'em at it)

Separate bags-at first I just tore up newspaper and put it onto a bag. Several tutorials said not to use more than four layers, but I couldn't remember how many layers I'd done. So now I keep separate bags. One for light-all type; One for dark-black and white images and heavy headlines; Colors-color photographs.

First layer is light, second is dark, third is light again and fourth is colored. This way I know how many layers there are each time.

Grab a big pile out of your stash of paper before you start. Reaching a sticky hand into a bag of dry paper will papier mache your fingers.

Wear your most comfortable, grungiest clothes because even the neatest person with get drippy.

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