'Just use your instincts': Carving the perfect jack-o-lantern with artist Carli Ihde

APPLETON, Wis (CBS 58) — Pumpkin shavings fly as Carli Ihde carves out her masterpiece.

"A big part of craving pumpkins is having the right tools," said Ihde.

This Appleton native is a master pumpkin carver, she was recently featured on Food Networks' reality show; Outrageous Pumpkins All-Stars.

A show she says was a dream come true.

"I was auditioning for different Food Network Shows for quite some time. I started right out of college sculpting pumpkins," Ihde explained.

But going on a competition show isn't for the easily spooked.

"That first season I was on which was season 3 of Outrageous Pumpkins was probably the most stressful 21 days of my life, I've never had to do anything like that. The first season made me more humble but the new season made me more confident," said Ihde.

By trade, Carli is a tattoo artist but in her spare time, she makes creepy creations.

"It's just a huge relief to see that there's an art that people can see a value in because they witness it and experience it firsthand," said Ihde. The beauty of pumpkin carving and the beauty of Halloween is that it's not about being beautiful at all, it's about being creepy and weird and dressing up and the great thing is a silly pumpkin face is exactly what you're looking for anyway."

Here are some tips from Carli, her favorite approach to pumpkin carving is the takeaway method.

"It's where you have something but you're taking away from it in order to create the 3D shape. Once you get into pumpkin carving you can add on that's how you get the beautiful pumpkin sculptures and structures," said Ihde.

Carli has some tricks up her sleeve on finding the perfect pumpkin.

"When you go to the pumpkin patch if you see a pumpkin, you like pick it up and if it feels heavier than you thought, just use your instincts, that would probably be a good pumpkin. You want to look at the stem if there's yellowing or a pale white color on the outside it might be rotten on the inside. It means humidity or moisture has gotten into the stem," Ihde explained.

Her biggest message is your pumpkins don't need to be perfect.

Whether want them spooky or sweet, have fun and light up your home with a little Halloween magic!