Wednesdays are Gourd Garage Days for the Dappled Apples gourd patch of the Virginia Lovers' Gourd Society....the Crackled Apples are basically online folks, but we're moving and grooving with the Dappleds lately. For example, this week lots of new things have been tried, learned, and produced. Let's walk through one of the projects: a decoupaged gourd bowl.
The combination of decoupage and gourds is not new; making bowls is certainly not new. However, to someone just starting out and unfamiliar with either, it is nice to walk through the process. Initially, begin with an opened and gutted gourd, making sure the interior is smooth as possible. This particular gourd enthusiasts liked rose images so a suitable giftwrap was chosen and, after a quick lesson in papercutting (yes, there IS a right and wrong way to cut paper!), lovely roses were prepared for the interior of the gourd. Once the images were ready, they were tested to see how the curvature of the bowls would affect the paper. Sometimes, if the paper is too big it will buckle or pleat. By testing it first, it will be clear if it needs to be split. In this case, two roses were cut along a rose petal line so when it was adhered, there would be a slight overlap of paper, making a 'flat' surface ultimately.
To begin, spread ModPodge on the gourd wall where the image will be placed. Tap the paper onto the ModPodge so it is initially placed, and can absorb some of the moisture. This will help the paper to soften which makes it more malleable. Then brush more ModPodge across the image so it is dampened on top as well. Using a circular motion, rub the surface of the paper with a finger to squeeze out excess ModPodge from under the paper and to encourage a tight marriage between paper and gourd. Brush the excess across the surface, checking for edges that may not have been rubbed into place yet. Keep moving from papercutting to papercutting until all the desired images are in place. Apply a thin layer of ModPodge across the images when finished as a final 'even coat'.
When the interior was dry, a rose embellishment purchased at a Dollar Tree was used as an insert for the front. This was carefully considered because the rose motif was already in place and anything beyond that needed to be in alignment visually.
The metal rose had the multi-petal appearance as the roses on the interior. Initially, the metal rose was placed against the gourd side where it was to be placed. Using needle-nosed pliers, the metal was bent so it curved to match the curve of the gourd wall. Since the metal was lines of metal, that was fairly easy to accomplish. A simple twist of the pliers broke off the ring that must have been meant for a necklace or something. Once that was done, it was traced onto the gourd wall with a pencil and cut out. At first, a mini-jigsaw was used but that proved too aggressive for the handler, so a coping saw blade was locked into the jaws of a locking wrench and that worked much better. Once the shape was cut out of the gourd wall, the insert was tested, the edges of the gourd hole sanded here and there for a nice fit. Eventually, points of E6000 were dotted on the interior of the hole where the metal touched the gourd hole edge.
Cutting extra leaves from the same giftwrap used for the interior carried the inside to the outside, adding more continuity. The mauve colored paint on the rim matched the roses perfectly!
It's
a Cracklin' good time to see a project go from raw gourd to a functional, and beautiful, product.
The Gourdacious Dappled Apples enjoyed their time at the Shenandoah Valley Discovery Museum and have already signed up for the same quarter of Artist-in-Residence time next spring. So, until then, have a Cracklin' Gourd Time! Those Dapples will be back with more gourd times than you can shake a stick at.....
Here are some other projects visitors to the Museum watch gourd artists make. Some are more involved than others which certainly garner interest over the several weeks it takes to make them. It turns out the long term projects are an ongoing fascination and makes the studio became the place to check out each time regulars visit and newcomers stumble onto by happenstance!
For a sister who lives in Florida and decorates with an aquatic theme, an octopus bowl! A copyright-free octopus image was printed, penciled with color, and set into a bowl previously painted a two-tone blue. A rim will be next.
Star Wars giftwrap provided the images for a grandson's birthday present - a bowl for Lego bits and pieces. There was discussion about copyright of course, but since the project will not be sold, but will be only for private use, Fair Use Laws covers the use of the images. Can't wait to see how it turns out!
The combination of decoupage and gourds is not new; making bowls is certainly not new. However, to someone just starting out and unfamiliar with either, it is nice to walk through the process. Initially, begin with an opened and gutted gourd, making sure the interior is smooth as possible. This particular gourd enthusiasts liked rose images so a suitable giftwrap was chosen and, after a quick lesson in papercutting (yes, there IS a right and wrong way to cut paper!), lovely roses were prepared for the interior of the gourd. Once the images were ready, they were tested to see how the curvature of the bowls would affect the paper. Sometimes, if the paper is too big it will buckle or pleat. By testing it first, it will be clear if it needs to be split. In this case, two roses were cut along a rose petal line so when it was adhered, there would be a slight overlap of paper, making a 'flat' surface ultimately.
To begin, spread ModPodge on the gourd wall where the image will be placed. Tap the paper onto the ModPodge so it is initially placed, and can absorb some of the moisture. This will help the paper to soften which makes it more malleable. Then brush more ModPodge across the image so it is dampened on top as well. Using a circular motion, rub the surface of the paper with a finger to squeeze out excess ModPodge from under the paper and to encourage a tight marriage between paper and gourd. Brush the excess across the surface, checking for edges that may not have been rubbed into place yet. Keep moving from papercutting to papercutting until all the desired images are in place. Apply a thin layer of ModPodge across the images when finished as a final 'even coat'.
When the interior was dry, a rose embellishment purchased at a Dollar Tree was used as an insert for the front. This was carefully considered because the rose motif was already in place and anything beyond that needed to be in alignment visually.
The metal rose had the multi-petal appearance as the roses on the interior. Initially, the metal rose was placed against the gourd side where it was to be placed. Using needle-nosed pliers, the metal was bent so it curved to match the curve of the gourd wall. Since the metal was lines of metal, that was fairly easy to accomplish. A simple twist of the pliers broke off the ring that must have been meant for a necklace or something. Once that was done, it was traced onto the gourd wall with a pencil and cut out. At first, a mini-jigsaw was used but that proved too aggressive for the handler, so a coping saw blade was locked into the jaws of a locking wrench and that worked much better. Once the shape was cut out of the gourd wall, the insert was tested, the edges of the gourd hole sanded here and there for a nice fit. Eventually, points of E6000 were dotted on the interior of the hole where the metal touched the gourd hole edge.
