My future project.....

I love the shape of this Kettle Gourd...using the tea pot to show it's size.

I am working on it now...its going to be a wee cottage....will post pictures
when it is finished. Jo

Great, Jo! The BassetDaughter and I are going to do a mouse house (remember those from the '80's) in a very large gourd. And, I am going to do a 1/2" scale miniature fairy garden in another one...

Barb

Betty, did you ever get your apple gourd seeds?

~* Robin

Jo, did you grow that one yourself? It certainly has a nice shape. :)

Donna

No...I didn't grow that one...it was given to me by a very nice lady.

Naturewalker...are you addressing me...with the Betty?....which is part of my name..Betty Jo....but not many people know me by Betty...LOL I am still in the market for Apple Gourd Seeds...Jo...Hmmmm....Betty Jo

Are 8 enough Jo? Someone sent me them as a surprise seed.

~* Robin

Yes, thank you! Jo

Send me an SASBE to my address in the 'Extras'.....

~* Robin

This message was edited May 29, 2005 5:57 PM

Jo,

May be you can post pictures as you go along? I'd like to be able to see one under constuction.

~* Robin

Robin...I thought about that too....and I will...as soon as I get bak from meeting Farizona in town and taking 12 pots of Castor Bean plants off her hands...LOL

BTW...some one else has sent me Apple Gourd seeds....I'm not going to grow them this year anyhow....but Thanks!

Jo

Here is my project in progress.....I hate to paint circles! On the straight parts I can utilize lots of scotch tape.....but these old shaky hands have a hard time with circles. Jo

Did you sandpaper the gourd before you painted it? Any preparations at first?

Where did you remove the seeds from, first off?

~* Robin

Robin....see the circle inside the brown "door"...that is where the seeds came out....this gourd had been dried for a couple of years...so the insides were easy to clean out...

I should have done more sanding....BTW....the thick nail files that you buy at Sally's or Wal-Mart...the greyish ones...make great sandpaper. You can use either wood filler or dry wall spackle to fill in holes and cracks...then sand that down.

Jo

I'm typing in ascii! Something happened in the keyboard! I can't hold onto nail files anymore not even the thick ones... carpal tunnel + diabetic nerve damage & that stuff we call arthritis ... Dollar store may have light sanding paper.

I'm up on the dry wood filler. Thanks for the good, detailed info though.

~* Robin ☺♪

Robin....join the team of Arthritis people! I can hardly do detail work anymore...shakey hands.

As to the sand paper...buy one of the sanding blocks...they will fit your hand...use fine grit though.

Jo

Someone gave me some gourd seeds a while back and now I've been bitten by the ornamental gourd crafter's guild folks. I'm workin on something similar to what you're workin on now Mom. ;~)

TC

TC, son, I will want to see a picture. My project has slowed down some....but sits and stares me in the face daily!

I have been so busy this week...and a good friend is getting out of the hospital today and needs my company for a couple of days....so...will be leaving for Bisbee this evening.

Do you need any more gourd seeds?

JoMama

Progress on my gourd has also slowed. We've finally got most of the garden planted now tho, so I'm expectin to pick up the pace some on my gourd work. I'll post a pic or two soon.

Best regards to your friend Mom!

Hugs!

TC

*WHEW* Got the roofing job done!!

The next time I use pine cones I think I will soak them and bend them into a little curve...to fit the gourd's curvature. Jo

How cute. I used seeds from the gourds for my roofing. I'll post an unfinished photo soon.

Now why didn't I think of that, TC? The old brain has no memory space left...I must defrag. Jo

Okay, I said I'd post a photo of mine so here it is. It ain't finished yet and the type of gourd I'm usin isn't exactly the type I'd like to have used but I think it'll do.

Very good start...I started to use that type of door...I like it.

I only have a couple of finishing touches to mine...maybe tomorrow it will be finished....I have to go to Wally World first....Jo

Thanx Mom! ;~)

FINISHED! The awnings are made from real bark from a birtch tree. Jo

Wonderful! And it looks like you already have new tenants too.

Very nice job on the gourd house! What type of glue did you use to stick on the cone roofing. I have trouble getting things to stick to mine?? Tanarae

I just used craft glue///Arleen's Tacky glue....but I have found Arleen's has out a new clear glue now....good for filling cracks in your gourd also.

This bird house is not waterproof...due to the glue I used.

This now resides with Drdon and his DW, Pam...for having us at his ranch for our S. Ca. RU. Jo

Thanks, but if you sprayed it with poly after using that glue would it be waterproof then? Tanarae

Maybe...I did spray it....but with acrylic. Jo

Jo, that is absolutely adorable!

I tried growing some birdhouse gourds this year to make birdhouses this winter, but they didn't come up. I think the seeds were from a trade a couple years ago, so they might have been too old.

I'm gonna try again next year though. Now I'm going to try kettle gourds too.

Joan...I doubt that the seeds were too old...they found some in the Pyrimids and they grew....not that's OLD!

Try starting them inside next time...then transplanting them...I planted 3 in a cut and only 2 germed. Try again! If you need more seeds let me know! Jo

Thanks Jo, I'll try again next spring. It's too late here this year.

I'd never tried starting them indoors and transplanting them. I did that once with squash and they died, so I didn't think it worked too good with this type plant.

Hey Jo
Your gourd is beatiful. I miss you living close to me to help me in crafts. The gourd seeds you gave me is doing really good. I have sereral gourds from the plants now. Will post some pictures of them.

Sami

HI Sami...I miss living near you too...what great memories we share, huh? Look at LizH's harvest of her gourds...from seeds I sent her. Jo