 This is anything BUT a card today. If you can’t tell, this is actually a gourd that I carved, painted & varnished. For the Inspiration Challenge IC1046, we are visiting Lucuma Gallery & their Pinterest Boards. Since they are all about gourds, I had to use this one. It reminded me of so many but THIS one in particular.  I made several of these & two I still have but I am unable to locate the other one. These were all different & the third one was gifted to a relative. Since it is a round, 3D object, it’s a little trickier to photograph. This is one view showing a pair of cardinals. To make this, I penciled in the scene, then used a Dremmel tool to carve the lines. The lines were accented with black then the insides were painted. Apparently, the paint I used was a little fugitive as they have faded a bit, even with the varnish coating.
Another side showing a single cardinal & a cherry blossom branch. I will mention, carving a round, slightly slick surface is a bit tricky, even with the Dremmel.
Third side with a hummingbird. I also would like to mention that the gourd was thoroughly washed & scrubbed, then allowed to dry before I started.
Top view with wisteria surrounding the stem. After I finished drawing the wisteria, I cut it open & cleaned out the inside. Then the carving, painting & coating took place. Since the top is cut around the wisteria, it only goes back on in the corresponding spot.
This is a view with the top off. I padded the inside a bit & covered it with fabric. Next time, I’ll be sure to use better paint so it won’t fade. The gourd is about 6 inches high & 7 inches across at the widest point.
Thanks so much for stopping by!
