Tired but about ready to start up again

I took a bit of a hiatus. With all the festivals this fall and the orders for Christmas, I got so busy that I neglected things around the house. So I have taken a few months off to get caught up. I painted my kitchen cabinets and walls and today I am painting my bedroom in preparation for my new bedroom suit.

My oldest is moving soon, so we will move my youngest into his bedroom, which will need to be painted, and then I will have an office!! Hurray. I have gourds scattered everywhere in the house. It will be nice to finally have a place for them.

I did actually order 75 egg gourds and got them burnt and stained ready for Easter. Here is a sampling:

I also have a very cute Easter bunny basket that would go perfect with these eggs:

Several festivals coming up

I just finished several pieces. I have four festivals coming up and want to make sure my inventory is stocked up. I have done numerous snowmen, a bulldog (our school's mascot), a few leaf bowls with a large leaf bowl in the works. When we were on vacation in North Carolina we dined at a Mexican restaurant. Hanging on the wall was a piece that was very simple. It was an old stick hung with twine and dangling off of the stick were 5 pots aged in various colors. So I was actually able to recreate this piece with gourds. It wasn't for sale and a friend that was with us loved it so much that I thought it would make a great birthday present. I actually think it turned out better. I used leather dyes to color it and then stained over the dyes to mute the colors. If you didn't know any better you would think it was pottery, only much lighter! I really think she will like it. I have several scarecrow birdhouses done and am going to do some apple birdhouses using some of my spare pieces for the leaves. I have so many ideas going through my head that I just don't know where to start. This time of year gets so hectic and I just don't know whether I am coming or going.

Been super busy!

Haven't posted in a while. It has been super busy around the house getting ready for vacation, school, fair, etc.
We just got back from Tail of the Dragon, which was very cool but the skyway was the most beautiful thing I believe I have ever seen. While on vacation my youngest son, while staying at grandmas, had a terrible bike wreck. Luckily he didn't break anything, his face is really messed up though.
I entered several pieces in th local fair and received second place in all entries! I was kind of disappointed that I didn't get any firsts but this was my first year and it was a learning experience. Only one of my gourds actually went against another gourd, the others were in different categories. And the gourd I lost to? An extremely large gourd not decorated, nothing! I guess the largeness (is that a word?) was what enamored the judges.
My gourds in the garden are doing okay. The vines are really taking over, but I am a bit disappointed in the amount of gourds on the vine.
I have been working on some gourds when I can find a spare minute, which seems to be getting less and less. I found some really cool pumpkin body stands and have made several different gourd heads. They are really cool. I have a few different leaf gourds in process.
I am starting to panic because I have several festivals coming up and not near enough time to get ready for it. But it will all work out, it usually does.

My gourds made the front page of our local newspaper last week, very exciting. If you would like to read the article here is the link: http://www.carmitimes.com/articles/2008/06/26/news/news1.txt.

I just finished two pieces and have a few more in the works. I have several ideas but just tryting to get motivated is very hard. But I need to get in gear with festivals just a few months away. I have a really cool idea for a pumpkin. Keep checking back.

I decided since I am the gourdlady that it would be apprropriate to have a gourd name plack on my house. Here is the finished project. The first one is always a work in progress and can be improved on. But I thought it turned out pretty good.

To make it I cut a bottle gourd in half long ways, cleaned the interior. I then burnt the name into the gourd using a font that I found to be easy to read and visually appealing. I then sealed it with numerous coats. A small hole was drilled on either side of the top of the gourd and crafting wire was used to make the hanger and finally rafia was used to make the bow. I think The Allens would have been better though. House numbers would work also. I didn't stain the gourd, but that could also be done if you prefer a darker color.