| GOURDS FROM THE GARDEN JUNE NEWSLETTER |
| Back from Cherokee and full of ideas and it was so wonderful to get to see so many folks. Please take the time to visit the link below with photo's of the gathering. My digital camera decided not to work so these were taken with a disposable. I hope that you will find this issue inspiring and keep your comments coming. |
| You can have everything in life you want, if you'll just help enough other people get what they want. (Zig Ziglar) |
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| WHAT TO DO WITH GOURD SCRAPS??? Do you find it hard to part with those extra pieces of gourds after you've cut a bowl or basket? I do. So lots of them end up in a pile, thinking I will do something with them later. They make great pieces to practice a new technique on like wood burning or chip carving. But they can be made into something useful such as jewelry, emblishment on the rim of a gourd, cute magnet, hair barrett, or even a bolo. If you check out the jewelry section of http://www.rockyforkfarms.com/, Rob has some stunning pieces using scraps of gourds. Also, the coiled pine needle ornaments above are made using gourd scraps. Here's a couple more ideas: **cut a circle or oval and paint or wood burn a design for a pin or ornament **Use the pointed end of a martin gourd cut open as a bird feeder attached to a dowel stick and put in your yard. **Use your scrap ornament to emblish a Christmas package for an added gift. I'm not sure what these little pieces will be, either I will cut a hole into the top for an ornament or glue a magnet to the back. |
| SCRAP MAGNETS CLICK PHOTOS TO ENLARGE |
| VERDIGRIS ON A GOURD? First let me explain what verdigris is for those who are unaware. Verdigris is a French term which means "The green of Greece." True verdigris is a coating on copper, brass, and bronze formed by weathering. It's a beautiful, soft blue-green color that can also be achieved with painting. Though most painters use it for clay pots, statutes, and patio furniture,I was refurbishing my yard statutes earlier this spring I thought it would look great also on a gourd. Time seems to escape me and I haven't gotten the chance to try it on a gourd, I will still provide the directions in hopes that I will get to it soon. Whether you want to paint this effect on a gourd or any other object here's the recipe I've developed from looking at different techniques on the net. I never have what they call for to use and I improvise what I have on hand. I've used this method for a couple of years on pots and garden statutes and it's working fine. I don't have to do this every year, just every 2-3 years. RECIPE & DIRECTIONS: Decoart Americana acrylic paints Lamp ebony black (or an exterior black spray paint works well). Hauser green dark Desert turquoise White wash Other supplies: Gourd or object you want to paint (cleaned well) Old scruffy brush, styrofoam plate Sponge brush (if using the decoart black to base coat) Krylon Acrylic indoor/outdoor varnish spray NOW LET'S PAINT Base coat your piece with black. Use the sponged brush if applying the Decoart black. Otherwise, spray well with the black spray paint. Let dry. If painting concrete statutes reapply to missed spots. The concrete absorbs a lot of paint. When base coat is completely dry, use your old scruffy brush and dip into the hauser green dark, then wipe most off on old newspaper or paper towel. Then gently highlight here and there. On the statute you would do this at any raised areas or areas that would get weathered first. On a gourd just do it randomly. You will have to reload your brush many times. Next, using the same brush (cleaned) repeat process with the desert turquoise paint. Let dry and repeat with the white wash. You can refer to photo for help on placement of the highlighting. When all paint is dry, spray with the varnish, let dry and repeat. |
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