Yes, there are more installments in the Meet the Carvers series - three at least - even though the Blaze is extinguished  for '07. Next up, Peggy Diaco.

BB: What's your day job?
PD: Chillin' out and living off the fat of the land in Pennsylvania.

BB: What kind of carvings are you working on for Blaze 2007?
PD: Funny faces.

BB: Are you working on any other Blaze-related items?
PD: Helping with general set up and crowd control with my trusty bullhorn.

BB: What are your preferred carving tools and methods?
PD: A knife and my right hand.

BB: Got any carving tips for a novice?
PD: Yes, bring Band-Aids and a sense of humor.

BB: What's your favorite pumpkin-based food?
PD: Pumpkin cheesecake.

BB: What's your favorite Halloween movie?
PD: Abbott and Costello Meet Frankenstein.

BB: Toasted pumpkin seeds: Salt or no salt?
PD: Definitely salt.

BB: What makes pumpkins so special?
PD: They each have their own personality, even before the face emerges.

BB: If I were a carved pumpkin, I'd be...
PD: Pumpkin Peg - I'd rather sit by myself on a pumpkin than by crowded on a velvet cushion.

BB: Well said. Thank you, Peggy!

The last week of Blaze was, as you may well imagine, a rather busy time for the folks at Historic Hudson Valley.

As you'll recall, Martha Stewart featured the event in a 12-minute segment on her Thursday show that included Michael Natiello carving with her in the studio. You can now view the entire show here.

Then, Martha came by on Sunday for a 7:30 tour, which she thoroughly enjoyed. She talks about it here on her blog.  

The New York Times featured Blaze on the cover of its Westchester/Connecticut/New Jersey etc. regional sections on Sunday.

The Weather Channel stopped by on Monday evening to do some live on location reporting at 8 and 9 p.m.

And, last but not least, Halloween was the scene for the FOURTH marriage proposal that took place at Van Cortlandt Manor via carved pumpkin. From what we can tell, the proposers' record is four for four. Keep that in mind for next year, lovebirds.

And yes, there's more to come on the Blaze Blog, including at least one more carver profile. Stay tuned.

The long-awaited results of the Blaze YouTube Video Contest are in. Competition was fierce and there were a number of outstanding entries, but the one entered by Dolores Spero and her father Allan Way was tops according to the judges. The pair will soon be the proud owners of a 42-inch Hitachi 1080i plasma television, a Toshiba 1080i HD DVD player, and a collection of classic Halloween DVDs, all courtesy of K104.7.

Great job folks!!

You can check out the winning entry here.

Blaze carver Cristal Rose Stevens tells the blog about all things pumpkin, including her very good friend, Alfred.

BB: What's your day job?
CS: I'm an art student at SUNY Purchase, musician, chef, stilt-walker, and freestyle rapper.
BB: A Jill of all trades.
CS: Absolutely. And I've worked at Van Cortlandt Manor since I was 12 with my mom, Faith.

BB: What kind of carvings are you working on for Blaze 2007?
CS: Everything that you see and can purchase.
BB: What are your favorites?
CS: My favorites that I've carved are the clowns and mushrooms.

BB: Are you working on any other Blaze-related items?
CS: Well, I'm making a lot of Halloween costumes.

BB: What are your preferred carving tools and methods?
CS: I prefer to use only a thick-handled X-Acto blade to carve freehand on funkins. I also use a Sharpie.

BB: Got any carving tips for a novice?
CS: Don't drop your blade on your leg, or your leg will hurt a lot.

BB: What's your favorite pumpkin-based food?
CS: I enjoy pumpkin coffee and any organic vegan pumpkin concoctions.

BB: What's your favorite Halloween movie?
CS: Hands down, The Nightmare Before Christmas. I just saw it in 3D. Other than that, does Labyrinth count as a Halloween film?
BB: Sure, if Dune counts.

BB: Toasted pumpkin seeds: Salt or no salt?
CS: No salt!

BB: What makes pumpkins so special?
CS: Well, one time I met this talking pumpkin named Alfred. He took me on a special tour to where he grew...
BB: Uhhh...
CS: Wait, that's just nonsense. They are special because they grow a lot of mold.

BB: If I were a carved pumpkin, I'd be...
CS: A fairy. Hanging out with the other fairies, and dancing around with the mushrooms and butterflies.

BB: Thank you, Cristal!

I've just learned that Historic Hudson Valley will be announcing the winner of the Blaze YouTube Video Contest on Monday. The talented winning videographer will be receiving a 42-inch flat screen TV, high def DVD player and a bunch of DVDs, courtesy of K104.7. Not a bad haul considering he/she also got to check out the Blaze!

The judges were pretty thrilled with the quality of the entries and are taking a few more days to decide. But, Monday I'm told will be the official announcement. I'll leak notice of it here, and it will also be announced on WHUD, The Peak, and K104.7