This is gourd beading 101
For those of you interested in learning the art form of the Huichol Indians taken to another level.
I have chosen to use a gourd vs an emu egg simply because the emu egg I had is cracked. Please be cautious when applying the wax to your
emu eggs. They can't take as much pressure as the gourds or ostrich eggs.
I am going to do a partial design vs covering the entire gourd for this demo.
I am going to make a Valentine gourd for a friend if I can complete it in time otherwise it will just be a gift from my heart.
I am going to use a design that I used in a punch needle work that I did.
This is the design I am planing on using but everything changes as I go along.
Starting materials.
Beading surface, gourd, egg, jar, etc
Beeswax sheets
spoon or door knob, depending on size of surface. ( I am going to be using a teaspoon for now. )
and either a dampened sponge or your tongue. Yep. DNA abounds here.
So Lets get going.
1.
Make sure that your surface is free of all oils or dirt. I suggest wiping it off with some alcohol and let it dry.
2.
If your room temp is too cool you will need to warm your wax pieces in your hands as you work so that it bonds better to the surface
Begin with small pieces, about the size of the palm of your hand.
Push the wax on, applying pressure so that the wax adheres to the surface.
3.
Get your dampened sponge or your saliva ready.
After you apply the first sheet, press it down securing it to the surface with your warm
hands and apply about two or three pieces, over lapping each edge so that it blends in
with the first piece.
It is better if you don't use a straight edge, so I tear pieces off. Apply a couple pieces and
once you feel that they are adhered to the surface begin removing the combs with the back
of the dampened spoon. Either lick it or dampen it but it must be wet or the wax will
stick to it and it will pull it off.
Once you have an area covered and the combs are removed then you can continue to apply
the wax until you have the entire surface area that you plan on creating covered with wax.
It is best to have two layers so that when you apply your beads they have a better surface
to adhere to.
If you plan on sculpting designs into your piece you still need to have two layers on the bottom.
On to the next post for more pics
This message was edited Nov 15, 2013 5:25 PM
