Sarah's Spotlight - Gourds By Design

There are gourds, and then there are gourds. The vases and bowls found at Gourds By Design definitely fall into the "and then there are gourds" category. I happen to like gourds quite bit and am mostly used to the soft ornamental gourds my mom put out every Halloween with our pumpkins. Then I came across Gourds By Design and found a whole new world of gourds!

The owner of this shop admits that she discovered gourds by accident. She has been a crafter and enjoys making clothes, weaving fabrics, knitting, and quilting. Then she came across a book on gourd art, and we can all see what direction she went in!

I'm definitely impressed reading about the process of gourd art. When I first came across her shop, I thought the owner is a very good painter who happens to paint on gourds. The owner gives a very good description in her profile which helps the shopper really appreciate the art. Here are the steps involved in making each gourd you see in this shop:

1) Cut the gourd to the shape you want and then sand the edges to smooth them out;

2) Remove the tough fibers from inside the gourd. This artists paints the insides of her gourds black to give it a finished look;

3) Draw a design on the outside of the gourd;

4) The pencil lines are wood burned onto the gourd;

5) Paint the gourd with three coats of archival quality ink dyes;

6) Varnish the gourd with three coats of a varnish designed to be used on gourds - this gives the gourd the glossy finish that you see. 

You can see for yourself that the end result is stunning! These gourds are meant for decorative use only. They should not be used for food or water. I love to see the variety of designs that this artist uses. A large number of her designs seem to be inspired by nature, but there are also vases and bowls with geometrical patterns on them. She even currently has one necklace with a gourd pendant! How creative!

If you buy two gourds, the second one ships for free! Be sure to take advantage of this great deal!