Carved Melon Flowers

I got a call from a client who asked me for a secial fruit dislay for his wife's birthday. He said that he liked my watermelons with floral patterns, and wanted to have it decorated with carved apples and flowers made from fruits, as the dislay was supposed to be instead of real flower bouquet.

I started to figure out what I can suggest to my client from the season fruits and got an idea to carve big white flowers out of melons. 

I used a melon baller to remove the melon seed and a thai knife to carve the flower petals. 

The carving technique is the same as for carving a flower from a vegetable starting from the skin toward center.

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Melon And Pomelo Carving For Wedding

This is today's wedding display with a melon and pomelo carving.

Tools:
Thai knife for the melon and pomelo carving.
Kiwi knife for frangipany flowers and the roses with curved petals.
Special tool set for the apple carving

Melon and pomelo carving display at the head table

Fruit platter 

My new pattern in melon:

Melon carving

The display together with the fruit platter 

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How To Make A Turtle Of Apple, Melon and Watermelon

I got a lot of responses on how to make a turtle of fruits the same that I did one from watermelon for the Beach wedding.

I prepared a tutorial to show how to make the turtle and explained the method in an apple. This method works for making a turtle of watermelon, melon, pumpkin and other materials.

How To Carve A Turtle Of Apple

You will need:

1 apple,

nectarine or other apple for its head and legs

Tools:

thai knife

Step instruction:

1. Cut the apple in halves. We will make two cute turtles.

2. With thai knife carve 3 cells at the central line.

3. Add cells around.

4. Carve small swirls in each cell.

5. Slice nectarine for legs and do a head. Place your turtle on a plate.

REMEMBER to treat your carving with lemon water to prevent it from browning!

How to carve apple turtle with swirls pattern

Let's decorate the second turtle with small stars! You will need V-knife for it.

Step instruction:

Repeat steps 1-3 from the first instruction.

Carve stars in each cell with V-shape knife.

Use V-knife from your carving tool set to do the cute stars in the apple turtle

You are done! Again, you can do this turtle in melon and watermelon too. 

Do not forget to apply lemon juice to your carving when you work with apples. Read the article 'How To Carve Apples And Prevent Them From Browning' to safe carved apples for a long period of time.

If you get used to lemon juice use a special cirtus sprayer device. It's perfect to sprinkle lemon juice to salads and dishes.I use the citrus sprayer for a quick carving. 

Cut a lemon and screw the sprayer in

Now you can spray your apple carving or use it for cooking

Here are my turtles made of apples,kiwi, melon and watermelon

Apple Turtles

Kiwi turtle

Melon turtle 

Watermelon turtle

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Beach Theme Wedding

It's Friday today and the Beach Theme Wedding out here!

Beach theme or sea theme is inspiring for a fruit carving artist. So many fruit crafts and designs can be done. Sea creatures, ships, fish, exotic birds, melon bungalow, melon shell basket, Hawaiian Luau theme, pumpkin lanterns with a romantic pattern (dear readers, let's do a brain storm, please continiue the list with your ideas in the comment bar!).

Since there are no exotic fruits here in Sakhalin even papaya and mango is a rare fruit here, I had to use simple products like carrot, radish, melon and watermelon. I decided to pay attantion to details to make the guests feel  like they are on the beach. I also had a task to fit the client's budget.

Before carrying out this project I sent a drawing with my comments on the design to my clients for their approval. Their answer was Yes we want it!!!

Beach Theme Wedding Project

Melon turtle. A turtle is a symbol of long life and wisdom. It's a mascot for welfare and prosperity. 

Fruit carving topiary on bamboo stands. The stands are not a real bamboo, they are immitation made of a local material, north bamboo, 3 meter high plant which is widely grow on Sakhalin island. Its botanical name is  Polygonum sachalinense. I like to use it for my crafts.

Carrot shell. The shells are carved out of carrot.

The Beach Theme fruit carving display

Watermelon carving details and exotic flower out of kiwi and apple

Melon turtle with carrot head and legs

Carrot flowers and grape bouquet on the bamboo stand

Radish flowers and grape bouquet on the bamboo imitated stand 

Carrot shell and the north bamboo stand bound up with rafia

Head table decoration, Beach theme wedding

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My Travel to Bangkok for Carving Art Study. Malisa School

A few days ago I came back from my trip to Bangkok, Thailand. 

I had a week there to study carving art, to travel Thailand and meet friends. Do you think one week is a short period? Every day I had carving practice, new friends meeting and nice talks with local people. 

My route wasn't a typical tourist route. Besides Bangkok I visited  Chiang Mai, a heart of Thai culture. Thanks Karla from TempleofThai.com for showing me around and getting me acquainted with Thai food and  culture on my first visit to Thailand! 

I have a lot to share with you my friends :) I will write several posts about my travel and study, you are able to read all of them by clicking the "Thailand' label in the sidebar of the blog.

Malisa School in Bangkok

Malisa Language and Culture School is very famous among Japanese carving artists. The school teaches fruit and soap carving art, Thai cooking and Thai dances. I took a soap and fruit carving course from Malisa teachers. 

The school is located at Sukhumvit district in Bangkok, a noisy place famous with its night life. So you have a great opportunity to learn a traditional Thai culture at the school in day and experience a mad city with pubs&girls in night (that is a contemporary Thai culture:)) 

Spirit house by the entrance to Malisa school.
Pray first before going for fun in the city :)

A hotel building with beautiful plants on the way to Malisa school

I have stayed at Orchid Place guest house in 3 minutes walk from the school. The guest house is aside of the noisy streets with a good location close to the train city line (Nana station). It was a safe place with surprisingly calm neighbours :) If you want to come to Malisa school I'll give you a contact of Malisa person to help you with accomodation and study schedule.

Malisa's teachers speak Japanese and English languages. You will need a knife for your study. You can buy it at the reception or bring your own knife. Malisa's designs are intricate, be ready to carve many small details.  

I was surprised to meet a famous carving book writer Narong Kasinsit at class, he is a teacher in Malisa.

with Malisa school's teachers and personnel (not all here)

with Tui-sensei

I had two lessons that day, on soap and melon carving.

my soap carving

my melon carving

melon carving in process

can't carve deeper, the melon is hollow inside

After lessons I went to find out what is Sukhumvit. Friday night was on. Loud music, pubs, food shops, narrow streets, people, cars, taxi, people, dogs, bikes, people.. Oh my! I found a post office and sent a postal card with greetings to my home (I have a custom to send cards from places I travell to). Went back to my hotel and got asleep. The next day I had early flight to Chiang Mai. That was my first day in Bangkok.

Morning in Bangkok, sunrise at Sukhumvit

Sukhumvit street in evening. 

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Photo Report of The 'Crazy Hand-Made' Exhibition, September 2012

On September 30, 2012 my Carving Studio participated in the 'Crazy Hand-Made' exhibition. 'Crazy Hand-Made' is a name of crafter's community in my hometown. 

Every exhibition I show new displays never made before. When an idea or an image comes to my mind I write them into my A4 notebook. Some of them I use for my work, others have to be tested before. An exhibition is a perfect occasion to try new things out.

I invited my students again to make carving displays. I asked them to not take the exhibition seriosly and let them play with materials. I believe that even basic skills can amaze. See what we made!

Click photo for bigger size

Fruit owl on the pumpkin moon and vegetable roses bouquets. Work of mine

Lemons and daikon roses, playing with colors. Work of mine.

Beet roses arranged in the metal vase.
Simple things look great when you add interesting details. Work of mine.

Melon and fantasy flowers on the holder made of  Sakhalin bamboo.
Work of mine.

Zuccini ship with gladiolus sails. Inspired by the painting. Made by Tatiana

Ice rock out of daikon and penguin finger food. New look of the popular food idea.
Made by Galina.

Vegetable flowers. Made by Natalie

Marrow squash house. Made by Natalie.

Watermelon carving by Claudia.

Visitors took photographs and asked the recipe of the penguins :) The favorite displays were the Ice Rock, the Marrow House and the Owl on the Moon. I think this is becouse they are simple and reqired a little of carving experience to do.
I had 'Triangle' tools and carving books for sale. And, of course, a short free class was given.

I show how to make the fantasy flowers

Carving propaganda :) Try for free and take a paid course after

tools

Take a look or take a try!

The results of the exhibition:

• Studio advertising
• Tools sales
• Contact list for classes
• My students are inspired for the Christmas exhibition in December
• short inreview on a local TV 

Just to remind that The Fall Carving Contest 2012 is on its first stage. Submit your carving work up to September 24 and take a chance to win a lovely prize! Feel free in using materials and creating displays. Never mind if you are just a begginer or non-experienced. I have a surprise for you!

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Melon Goldfish and Sea Treasure

The melon goldfish is a large copy of the lemon fish. I carved it using a thai knife only. On the plate you can see various sea creatures like crabs, conchs and corals.

Goldfish ingredients:
melon fjr the body,
pumpkin and carrot for the pins,
grapes for eyes.

Crabs from red apples,
Conchs from daikon,
corals from carrot,
sea weed from cucumber.

Tools:
The set of 3 carving knives will be perfect for making the Goldfish arrangement.

Japanese carving style

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Babyshower Fruit Toys

More fruit toys and crafts for kids:
Pokemon Melon Cup
Lightning McQueen Watermelon Basket
Hello Kitty Watermelon
Fruit Princess Story (Cinderella)

I love to make fruit displays for babyshower parties. Cute animals and characters bring joy to children and adults. Some people hardly believe that the toys made of edible fruits. They think it is plastic. I ensure the display is completely made of fruit and vegetable :) I just wish the toys could have a longer life...

I enjoyed my work today. This display is my favorite one now. It took 2 hours and 30 minutes to carve and assemble them.

Fruit Toys Display For Babyshower Party

Fruit toys

I found a pineapple to be a convinient base for fixing fruit crafts on it.
On the picture below you see a rabbit made of an orange. He is a character of a famous russian cartoon. His name is Krosh.

krosh Rabbit on a pineapple

A close look of a spiral apple and a bee made of cumquat.

Cunquat bee and an apple lollypop

A fruit tiger pilots a melon airplane.

I have used special tools for making the fruit toys.

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