Bernadette's Gourd Creations

A New Venture: Check Out My Food Blog!

noreply@blogger.com (Anonymous) — Sat, 21 Mar 2015 17:53:00 +0000

http://www.tasteofsunsugar.com

You will find all kinds of delicious tried-and-true recipes and an endless resource for all things related to my family's fruit and vegetable farm including growing, harvesting, storing and preparing your favorite fruits and veggies. And what is a farm with the home, I also want to share with you life on the homestead with family activities and DIY projects and videos from home repair to art and crafts.

© 2015 Bernadette Fox

DIY Gourd Project How-To Video

noreply@blogger.com (Anonymous) — Wed, 24 Dec 2014 02:13:00 +0000

I recently uploaded another video. This time I recorded the whole process of transforming a gourd using carving and fliligree techniques, alchohol ink dyeing, and even a bit of knotting for a quick embellishment for the rim of the gourd. Check it out!

© 2014 Bernadette Fox

Leaves are Timeless Collection

noreply@blogger.com (Anonymous) — Mon, 01 Dec 2014 15:08:00 +0000

I completed five gourds this past November, all of which incorporate leaves in some way. I am collectively calling them the Leaves are Timeless Collection.

Beech Leaves Vase

"Leaf" it Be

Michigan Maples

Oaks and Acorns Pitcher

Garland of Leaves Pitcher

YouTube Update

noreply@blogger.com (Anonymous) — Sat, 03 May 2014 23:09:00 +0000

From an only gourd art YouTube channel to BFCreations (art, crafting, farming, and gardening and MORE)!
It's my first channel trailer to ring in the new focus of my channel. I appreciate video comments and make sure to LIKE it! ♥

How to Decorate a Gourd with Macrame or Knotting YouTube DIY Video

noreply@blogger.com (Anonymous) — Tue, 11 Feb 2014 02:40:00 +0000

Was very pleased on how this gourd came out! I cut open a martin house gourd in the shape of a basket leaving a good portion of the gourd to serve as a twisted basket handle. I decorated the "bowl" of the basket with a bunch of Josephine knots and the handle I chip carved. I love the rustic quality of the whole piece and I hope you do too, enough to try it out for yourself! Check out the video I made of the whole process. If you want one for yourself made by me then pick one up from my Etsy shop. Just follow this link: https://www.etsy.com/listing/172435055/macrame-rustic-gourd-basket

How to Chip Carve a Gourd YouTube DIY Video

noreply@blogger.com (Anonymous) — Tue, 31 Dec 2013 14:32:00 +0000

In this quick 5 1/2 minute video I share how to chip carve using a 1/4" u-gouge. It's a tedious technique to use on gourds, especially when you want the chip carving to be the focal point and need to do a lot of it, but it gets easier over time and the results are gorgeous! Make sure to subscribe to my YouTube channel for more gourd tutorials! My next video involves macrame on gourds so you don't want to miss that!

Silent Night, Holy Night . . . a very Merry Christmas to all!

noreply@blogger.com (Anonymous) — Wed, 25 Dec 2013 15:24:00 +0000

Wanted to give a warm wish for a blessed Christmas season to all my blog readers! At the same time I thought to share one of my latest gourd creations I custom made for two sisters. They were looking for the perfect Christmas gift for their mother who collects both gourds and music boxes. After finding my Etsy shop they quickly inquired about making a gourd out of a music box. Of course I said yes, I thought it would be a perfect gift! I made the music box using an 18-note music box that plays Silent Night and decorated the gourd with silhouettes of the Nativity scene that I carved around with a special texture reminiscent of snow falling. Embossed silver stars dot the night sky. Three ribbons I carved and painted in gold serve to both separate each beautiful Christmas scene and unify the whole piece with elegance and majesty. The Bethlehem star draws the eye and serves as the knob to open the hinged lid.

May the Star of Bethlehem be your light throughout the coming year! Merry Christmas everyone!

Deck the Halls with Boughs of . . . Gourds!

noreply@blogger.com (Anonymous) — Thu, 12 Dec 2013 23:55:00 +0000

My previous post I mentioned the techniques I wanted to try out on my next gourd creations. Well, I did try out quite a few of them, but the one that I am having lots of fun with right now is wax painting! I decided to decorate small, ornamental gourds with wax - transforming them into ornaments for the tree. I think they came out very well and sold most of the ones I made at a recent craft show! Check out the video I just uploaded on YouTube about how I made them. If you are not into making them yourself, but can't resist them, then stop on by my Etsy shop to purchase a few in time for Christmas.

I am in the process of making a bunch more to decorate my family's tree so check back again to see a photo of our decorated tree!

© 2013 Bernadette Fox

Gourd Techniques I Want to Try

noreply@blogger.com (Anonymous) — Sun, 20 Oct 2013 00:29:00 +0000

I have been busy, busy making more gourd creations for a coming craft show as well as custom made orders. I am eager to finish with them and start on another batch. I think I have the gourd bug back! Currently, I am working on around 14 gourds. I'm not sure why, but I really enjoy doing so many at one time. I would like to share all of them with you, but for right now I have been thinking about that second batch of gourds I want to work on. I've been browsing the gourding world this morning and came across techniques that I want to try!

Making carved areas of gourd look like wood is something that may not be such a big feat to accomplish, but it's been on my mind. I've seen this done by Bonnie Gibson and today I discovered James Preston also dabbled in this technique. See his branches below:

Bonnie Gibson does it differently, but she manages to make it look like wood around the eagle:

James Preston again left me wanting to try something new. This time I want to try smoothing out my relief carvings and giving them the look of the outer shell of the gourd as he did with the maple leaves on his purse.

I see it done by so many gourd artists and its something I'd like to finally try myself: Chip carving, both with a knife and a u-gouge. Jenn Avery embellishes many of her woodburnings with chip carving.

Making wall art with gourds opens up new gourd avenues, I think. Gourd artist, Neal Greene, specializes in southwestern patterns and colors, but I think gourd wall art can be embellished with many other themes and influences.

I am always looking for new ways to embellish the backgrounds of my gourds and Mark Doolittle has "done much" with woodburning and dyeing to make it look like a mosaic of beautiful stonework. This is just one background technique that I want to try.

There are lots of weaving techniques that can be used to embellish gourds, but teneriffe is one that I'd like to try first.

Tooling is a technique that for some reason I seem to fancy even though it is more of a western, south western themed embellishment. Perhaps I can put a mid-western twist on it. :)

I can't understand why I haven't done it yet, but I haven't made gourd jewelry. My sister, Catherine, makes all sorts of jewelry so you would think I'd dabble in it myself. Nope. That means I have to now.

Okay, I have done lots of painting over the years, but I really want to practice doing a large realistic painting of something very special. It's just one of my gourding goals - perhaps a lake scene, a farm scene, garden scene, something near and dear.

I have used several gourds to create one unique piece many times before, but I have been imagining creating something spectacular!

Lastly, clay sculpting is a technique I have been wanting to do for years! Why haven't I? I feel intimidated. However, I really want to practice and teach myself some sculpting skills - so I hope my determination will get the best of me and I'll go for it!

Woodburning DIY Video - Gourds aren't the only things I woodburn :)

noreply@blogger.com (Anonymous) — Thu, 12 Sep 2013 00:16:00 +0000

I like to woodburn or pyroengrave dried gourds. It's a beautiful way to embellish gourds without going over the top - it seems to bring out the natural beauty of gourds. However, burning on wood was where I began woodburning. I had some fun woodburning on scrap wood found around the house - I made several plaques and even decked out a whole bench. (The bench is a story in itself.) But I discovered the gourd, and wood seemed like second best ever since. That is until an Ash tree fell after a storm last year. A cousin of mine took some of the wood to do a bit of woodturning. He made some beautiful bowls out of the Ash and gave a couple to my family. Oooh! what an opportunity to do a little woodburning on wood again!

Enjoy the video!

© 2013 Bernadette Fox

Customization and Personalization in Gourd Art

noreply@blogger.com (Anonymous) — Wed, 10 Jul 2013 23:34:00 +0000

I enjoy making gourd art from spontaneous ideas. I would say about 60% of my gourd art comes about from those ideas. Of course those ideas are triggered by something, and more often than not it's something from nature such as a flower from my garden or a tree ablaze in fall color. However, I think I actually find the most enjoyment in creating gourd art by following the inspiration of others. I am a good listener and so when someone explains to me what they are envisioning on a gourd, I picture the finished piece and a little bit more. . . . I love to add my own twist to the custom gourd just to give him/her a pleasant surprise.

If you're looking for a very special gift for yourself or someone you love, I believe a useful and beautiful piece of gourd art is something that will be treasured by anyone and everyone. Write me if you have any questions or check out my Etsy shop for my Custom Made listings. http://bfgourdcreations.etsy.com

A Confession, Summertime Gourd Art, and a Firefly Serenade Carved Gourd Lantern

noreply@blogger.com (Anonymous) — Fri, 07 Jun 2013 23:37:00 +0000

Okay, I will confess I've been on a gourd slump. So little time to do much in the way of art, and when I do have a bit, I come to an artist's block - similar to a writer's block I would think. So I admitted it, I have a loss of inspiration, but tonight, on a whim, I decided to browse through past photos of my gourds. In doing so, I realized I did not make many with a summer theme, so few in fact that I can count them on my fingers. That surprised me for sure, because so many of my gourds are purchased during the summer. If you know me, though, you can probably understand why there is a lack of summertime gourds--the majority of my gourds are made in the fall and winter because I am swamped during the summer with farm work. Would you believe it, the lack of summer gourds has actually inspired me to once again pick up a gourd and transform it.

And do you know what the subject of my coming gourd creations will be? :)

On a side note: My favorite summertime gourd I made is pictured above. I made it last year where it sold in the La Belle de la Riviere B&B in Newaygo, MI. I also custom made another gourd just like it for a customer who fell in love with it. I can't blame them. I really enjoyed making this one. Catching fireflies with my brothers and sisters was an annual event. Every year on the 4th of July we go out in the evening and fill jars with fireflies right before watching the big fireworks display.

© 2013 Bernadette Fox

Step by Step DIY Project: Painted Ladybug and Daisy Gourd Birdhouse - YouTube Video

noreply@blogger.com (Anonymous) — Tue, 28 May 2013 12:19:00 +0000

This video has been in the making for quite some time now. I made the birdhouse early last year and sold it over the summer. I knew I wanted to share with you how I painted this fun and whimsical birdhouse so I made sure to video capture the steps in making it. Just this past month I was able to edit the videos and photos I took of the process. I look forward to seeing your garden decorated with a similar gourd creation. Send me photos of your finished work and I may post them here on my blog!

Have a great week!

Franklinia alatamaha Carved Relief Gourd Vase Step by Step YouTube video!

noreply@blogger.com (Anonymous) — Wed, 10 Apr 2013 20:47:00 +0000

So happy to be able to show you this gourd as I was making it. I took photos and videos of the whole process, step by step. I show you how I carved, etched, woodburned, painted, embossed, gold leafed, weaved, and dyed it. This special gourd was inspired by the rare and beautiful Franklinia alatamaha tree, which was named after Benjamin Franklin. The tree is so rare in fact that it is extinct in the wild. It only lives on because of faithful gardeners and horticulturalists. My dad grew one before, saw it bloom (beautiful, large white blossoms with deep yellow centers) and saw it drop its last leaf. Yes, sadly it died, but I made my dad this gourd (that's why I call it special BTW) for his birthday and was so happy to see how much he liked it. I hope you like it as much as he does!

How to Dry Gourds for Crafting DIY Video

noreply@blogger.com (Anonymous) — Wed, 27 Mar 2013 23:28:00 +0000

As you might guess, to do a video about drying gourds takes about as long as it does to grow and dry them, so this video has been in the works since September of last year. In the video I show the large patch of gourds on my family's farm, harvesting, stages of drying, where to dry gourds and how, and what they look/sound/feel like when they are ready to craft with. I also have lots more videos about gourd crafting so make sure to check out my YouTube channel and become a subscriber. http://youtube.com/bernadettegourder

Leaves, Leaves, Leaves in Gourd Art

noreply@blogger.com (Anonymous) — Tue, 26 Mar 2013 13:43:00 +0000

I am not sure why leaves hold such a fascination for artists; and more specifically gourd artists including myself. I think it has to do with the myriads of shape, texture, form, and color, and I think people look forward to the changing leaves through the seasons -- one of the changes people actually look forward to.

I have made so many gourds with leaf designs that I wouldn't be able to count and alas I did not keep good records nor did I take photos, so I'll never know. But I do remember one of the very first "leaf gourds" I made was a pitcher with maple leaves. There was a thick skin on the gourd after it had dried and scrubbing it off was impossible -- never had a gourd as tough as that one. So I decided to take a small sander and sand away maple leaf designs. One of my family's dear friends fell in love with the piece right away and has had it in her cottage window since.

But some gourds I did take photos of include:

I made this carved teapot with Bur Oak leaves and acorns in 2012. Beside the giant Bur Oak in our local arboretum, the large handle and unique spout were my inspirations for this piece.

Sadly, I have only one photo of this gourd, my sister Catherine's favorite. I decorated the gourd with painted maple leaves and maple tree seeds and outlined my drawings in ink. Catherine wants me to make one for her just like it. The colors, silver, gold, and ebony transformed the gourd into a very elegant box.

I decorated my first gourd swag lamp with deep recessed carving, copper paint, embossing powders, and metal leaf accents. I purposely carved very deeply leaving only a sliver of gourd shell so that the light can stream through.

This cheerful Jack-O-Lantern with a hat of colorful fall leaves will flicker through the night with just a single tea light. I painted the pumpkin gourd with a high gloss paint and used a real dried pumpkin handle to add the finishing touch.

I carved around woodburnt silhouettes of maple, oak, sassafras, aspen, ash, and beach leaves.

I painted changing leaves over faux crackling paint. The large gourd handle brings an old world feel.

Another one of the ever popular leaf pitchers. This time I carved several different species of oaks including red, black, and white oak leaves.

I made bowls in the shape of leaves and dyed them accordingly: maple with red dye, oak with brown dye, and poplar with yellow dye.

After distressing the gourd with a bit of sanding I colored the whole pitcher with green and blue dye. I dyed faint silhouettes of maple leaves helter-skelter.

My intentions for this desk clock was to decorate it with faux gilded leaves (using real leaves I might add) and I think it came out very nicely. I painted the leaves with rich gold, rose gold, and silver metallic paint to make the leaves pop against the dark background.

I took a large gourd and carved a silhouette of a maple leave.

I woodburned a wreath of leaves for this simple gourd wall clock.

Broom corn coiled rim, gourd tiles with woodburnt acorns, and carved silhouettes of oak leaves makes this such a happy, festive fall gourd.

Another faux gilded leaf gourd, but this time I wanted the leaves to blend in with the background and become sort of blown about by the sweeping paint of gold and silver. The rim is decorated with gold and silver chain to add a delicate touch.

Colorful leaf stamped background builds a wonderful contrast to the carved leaf silhouettes.

Maple leaf fretwork, carved maple leaves, and woodburnt maple leaves all on one fall leaf gourd bowl.

Take a look at other gourd artists who have taken leaves to a whole new level.

© 2013 Bernadette Fox

Seed Trades for Gourd Seed

noreply@blogger.com (Anonymous) — Sun, 17 Mar 2013 06:00:00 +0000

I recently posted about seed swapping on my sister-blog about gardening: bernadettesgarden.blogspot.com. I wanted to share some of the same thoughts here on my gourd blog because seed trades are an excellent way of obtaining gourd seeds, especially those hard to find types such as canteen, bushel, cannonball, and baton-shaped gourds. I'll share with you a list of DO's and DON'Ts I compiled by resourcing my experience of years of trading seeds. I hope this list help you to start off right and motivate you to try this fun winter/springtime hobby of mine.

DO's and DON'Ts:

Do become a member of online seed swapping communities. Some communities to check out: http://seedswaps.com, http://gardenweb.com, http://davesgarden.com/community/forums/f/trading/all/

Don't think that every seed swap will go exactly the way you want. I suggest to do some background checking before you accept the trade, especially if it's a large trade. (Is there a review forum for seed swap members?)

Do think about collecting the seeds from your own garden. A little research about each seed producing plant you grow and good timing is all you need to harvest your own seeds. Many gardeners don't mind cross-pollination (and a little chaff) so go for it and have some fun with it!

Don't be neglectful on how you store the seeds you hope to trade. Make sure you store them in a plastic bag or glass/plastic jar in a fridge or other cool spot in your home.

Do label all your seeds clearly. It's a good practice to include the following info on each packet of seeds you send:

Name: Both common and scientific

Origins: (a) Commercial seed (purchased from a seed company), (b) if it was collected from your garden (which means the seed was most likely cross-pollinated and wont come true from seed), or (c) it was from a previous trade and you are not sure of its origins. Commonly abbreviated as: C (commercial), G (garden), and T (trade).

Year: When it was harvested.

Don't be reluctant to ask a seed trader if they will accept things other than seeds for trade. Many seed traders have other hobbies and interests and are willing to give seed to "add another item to their collection." Also, include the option of giving or receiving postage for seed. Sometimes gardeners will have an abundance of seed and are willing to take time out and send them to whomever would like them - if he/she is reimbursed for the postage.

Do keep records of all your seed trades. This can be very helpful when you want to do another trade with "that person who sent me those prized dahlias." Keep track of all the seed you sent and received, the name and contact information of the person, and the time of year the trade took place.

Don't forget that you can do seed trades through the mail or in person. The master gardener next door I am sure will have some leftover seed for you to try - and maybe she/he will want some plant tags in return. . .

Do make sure you read up about the plants you are thinking of starting from seed. Will they work in your climate or zone? Will you have enough room for that shrub? Is it an invasive plant that may take over your garden? (See: http://invasive.org/)

Don't just send seed to wherever, you need to be careful about regulations. If you are wondering if a certain country or state has seed regulations then make sure you do your research before a problem surfaces and you are fined. (See HERE.)

Do make sure that both ends of the trade will be satisfied before the trade even begins. Converse about the exact seed you want in return and make sure you know what the other person exactly wants. Communication is key to a great trade.

Don't over extend yourself. Sometimes having too many seed trades open can become a nightmare. One person wants this seed while two others want the same seed, and you said "yes" to all three without realizing it -- I think you can picture that situation pretty well.

Do make sure you read over any guidelines a seed trader may have. Some gardeners have made seed trading a big part of their gardening and actually made rules that, for the most part, benefit both parties if adhered to.

Don't be stingy -- be mindful of how many seeds you place in each packet. If there was no set seed amount discussed during the trade conversation then assume that person will want as many seeds as you would be happy with yourself. True gardeners are generous. Bonus packets of seed can be your way of making a lifelong friendship.

Do send seed in plastic packets or baggies and label them clearly. Dry seed stores the best in a sealed plastic (or glass) container or bag so why not ship them accordingly? A snack or sandwich bag will work okay, though freezer tough bags are better.

Don't send your seeds in paper packets unless you are planning on using a waterproof envelope. A plastic envelope will work, as well as wrapping a paper envelope in plastic packing tape. Remember, water could damage the seeds inside, especially if the seeds are not planted soon after arrival.

Do provide an organized and up to date trade list for other people to see. Many online seed trading communities insist you have a trade list. I insist you make sure of spelling and keep it up to date!

Don't send your seeds in a regular envelope. The seeds need to be protected from being crushed so use a bubble envelope or wrap the seeds in bubble wrap and place in regular envelope.

Do have fun! Make it an experience where you can learn, share, grow, and find new "flower buds."

How to Grow Gourds YouTube Video

noreply@blogger.com (Anonymous) — Sun, 03 Mar 2013 01:17:00 +0000

I just completed a video that has been in the works for a year a now. I wanted to show how to start gourds from seed. I show you step by step on how to start your gourds indoors to get a head start on the growing season, and then give you some extra video and show you around our expansive gourd patch. We had a great crop in 2012!

Saint Francis Assisi Birdhouse and Woodburning

noreply@blogger.com (Anonymous) — Thu, 14 Feb 2013 17:56:00 +0000

I love to incorporate my Faith into my art. One of my favorite gourd embellishments is sketching a garden scene and then woodburning it on a gourd birdhouse. I apply minimal color to the woodburning using oil pencils. This particular gourd was the beginning of whole collection of Saintly Birdhouses I made in 2012 and will add to this new year. I've made sketches of a Saint Therese, Our Lady of Grace, Saint Joseph, and Guardian Angel garden scenes. Interested in your own Saintly Birdhouse? I would love to do a custom woodburning for you. Email me with your idea and we can go from there: bernadettesgourdcreations (at) gmail (dot) com.

© 2012 Bernadette Fox

DIY Gourd Project: Make a Woodburned Gourd Clock

noreply@blogger.com (Anonymous) — Tue, 05 Feb 2013 00:13:00 +0000

Check out MakeProjects.com for tons of great DIY projects and guides and a seemingly endless amount of inspiration and creative people.

© 2013 Bernadette Fox

DIY Gourd Craft Video Tutorials on Pinterest

noreply@blogger.com (Anonymous) — Mon, 21 Jan 2013 13:48:00 +0000

Here is a recap of all my gourd crafting videos to date. I will be sharing more gourding tips, techniques and projects in the future, but right now I hope you enjoy these. Suggestions for future videos are always welcome. Just leave me a comment in this post! Have fun!

© 2013 Bernadette Fox

How to Dry Gourds for Crafts

noreply@blogger.com (Anonymous) — Tue, 08 Jan 2013 00:28:00 +0000

I recently posted about drying gourds for crafts on my other blog, Gardening and Crafting with Bernadette. Check it out here: Drying Gourds for Crafts!

© 2013 Bernadette Fox

Gardening and Crafting Blog and YouTube Channel!

noreply@blogger.com (Anonymous) — Thu, 13 Dec 2012 00:35:00 +0000

I've been doing gourd art for over a decade now, but I've also been fascinated with plants and gardening and I've been a frugal, re-purposing crafter before I even picked up a gourd. I thought it was about time to share my gardening and crafting interests with you. Check out my blog:

http://bernadettesgarden.blogspot.com

And my YouTube channel which will feature crafting tutorials and garden tips and lots more.

http://youtube.com/bernadettesgarden

Artist Portfolio Video: Bernadette Fox, Michigan Gourd Crafter and Artist

noreply@blogger.com (Anonymous) — Thu, 29 Nov 2012 20:15:00 +0000

I put together an Artist Portfolio for the purpose of sharing with galleries and potential selling venues. But of course I want to share many of my past gourd creations with YOU! Take a look!

Pumpkin Cravings and Best Pumpkin Blog Post

noreply@blogger.com (Anonymous) — Thu, 29 Nov 2012 01:57:00 +0000

Thanksgiving may have past but pumpkin cravings have not! Check out my featured blog post about finding the best pumpkin for your cooking and baking.

http://blog.greenhousemegastore.com/2012/10/29/can-i-use-just-any-pumpkin-for-baking/

© 2012 Bernadette Fox