ISO: Dipper & Canteen Gourd Seeds...oh yeah, and Beading?

Ok...so long story short...I've got the "beading" bug...OMG - like I NEED another obsession...geez!! The owner of a local shop mentioned plants and well...sure you can imagine all kinds of conversation broke out. Bottom line she's looking for seeds for these things (I'm so clueless - why couldn't she have asked about Cactus? Oh yeah, the spines...LOL) Guess she's thinking of doing craft like things with these...could be bird feeders for all I know. Any one have or can suggest a place to obtain these seeds. I have plenty of seeds for trade still should you have some and want to trade.
While I'm running loose with yacking...anyone do beading? Suggestions??? Books? Websites? Duck tape to keep me from getting any more semi-precious gems/stones off ebay?

Chantell,

Join all the yakkedy yak people on the "Best Worst Part 25 (!!!)" Post under "General Chat" Forum.
Ruby and I are already totally implanted on it. Ruby is a newcomer there. I post more and more---too much reading to keep up with everyone's life stories. This Post is like everyone's personal Journal about their lives. I don't do that.

Theer are SOOOOOO many talented people there!!!! Most of the conversation is about crafts and who is doing what. I KNOW there is one lady that does beading and jewelery. I believe her name is "Wonder_Down_Under" and YES! she lives in Australia. She is awesome. Bettypauze seems to be the "matriarch" of this site. She lives in Ontario, Canada and does so many crafts you cannot believe it!

Just go there, read up on all the chat and join in! They will welcome you with open arms.

Gita

Chantell: Do you need some gourd seeds? Please d-mail if you do. Sorry, I don't do beading....no time!

Pinetree has a pretty good choice in gourds, including one they call Dipper and some with necks that I guess you could use as canteens. I haven't heard of canteen gourds. A man at Ace Hardware once mentioned he wanted to use gourds for dippers fo r his Civil War reenactment equipment.

Oh Gita - I'll be in such trouble....I'll have to take a peek-see over there and see what they're all up to...what fun!!!
Thank you Sally - I'll pass on that name to her.
Shirley - HELLO!!! :) You have dmail

Chantell: I sent you D-mail in return.

Chantell, this is a must have catalog for beading. They have some really good sales throughout the year so be sure to get on their email list too.

http://www.firemountaingems.com/

There's a woman from Manassas who comes to these shows in Harrisonburg and she has the best prices on beads, including semi-precious stones, I've ever seen anywhere. They have shows in Charlottesville too, which would be a lot closer for you. They have a list of vendors on this site but perhaps if you call them they can give you info on the woman from Manassas. You'll go nuts at the shows. Lots of good vendors.

http://www.toteshows.com/

There used to be the best little bead shop in Manassas next to KMart but they closed a couple of years ago. It was run by the woman whose family owned the Chinese restaurant next to it on the other side. Perhaps they could tell you if she moved to another location. That restaurant is fantastic, by the way, if you like Chinese food.

OMG Diane!!! THAT is my favorite Chinese place of all time...I STILL go and eat (Chicken and Garlic sauce....whewww baby) there when I'm back in Manasass for a haircut etc. And I know exactly the place that was beside it...I still have 3 or 4 bracelets from there - wearing one today matter-a-fact...LOL.
The lady in Manassas - you think she'd be listed on that 2nd site?

I looked and I didn't see anything that looked like her. It's an extremely small list - far smaller than the number of vendors that were at the shows I attended.

There was a show listed in April in Charlottesville. I would guess if she goes to Harrisonburg she would certainly go to that one, if she's still selling. I got some very nice real stone beads from her for about $6 and that was with large beads. She was asian so I wondered if she was related to the lady who had the bead shop. She was much younger, though. Not that every asian lady is related but how many asian ladies that sell beads are there in Manassas?

There were lots of terrific vendors at the show with things you don't find in the craft stores and with much better prices. I love scarabs and there was a guy selling scarabs for 35 cents apiece. Some nice handmade jewelry too. I got a very nice moonstone ring for about $7.

I love that restaurant too. It's absolutely my favorite Chinese restaurant on earth. LOL Their chicken with garlic sauce is to die for.

I also go nuts in the Asian/Mexican grocery store that's in the shopping center down Sudley from there. It's massive and they have great prices on produce and seafood, not to mention every kind of asian or latino spice or food product.

BTW, I think they have a gem and jewelry show at the big convention center in Chantilly too. I'm sure it would dwarf the ones at the link.

Chantell,

If you have a "Michaels", "Joannes" or an "A.C. Moore" craft store anywhere nearby they also sell everything you need for jewelery making. At least a couple of aisles full.

Here in Baltimore, we get 40% off coupons for all 3 places every week. They come different times. "AC Moore's" comes on Tuesdays in the pile of junk mail--look through it! "Michaels" and "Joannes Fabrics" comes with the Sunday paper.
The 40% off is on any regular priced item. Here's the good part-----all three of them take each other's coupons!

If you have never "experienced" the whole Craft Scene--you will be hooked!!!

Gita

Good idea Gita!!! I'll have to take a look!! I've already way over done on Ebay...OMG...I really have always had this thing for semi-precious stones. It's sad, I tell you!! LOL
Diane - I emailed the folks that run those shows asking if they had her contact info or if they were more comfortable passing my info on to her. We'll see...gee, now if I can actually learn how to make necklaces...LOL We've got the cutest little bead boutique in Stafford which is how this madness began (simply wanted someone to show me how to restring my daughter's pearl bracelet). You know me...I bought a "few" things - then price compared online and ebay....the rest is history...ugh!

If you like real stones and not plastic or glass, you'll find the prices and selection at Fire Mountain and at the shows far better than at Michaels and the other crafts stores, even with coupons. Fire Mountain is also a great source for findings that you won't find at the crafts stores - again at much better prices.

They have a few real stone beads at the crafts store but they're usually very small, very short strands and very pricey.

Is see you found the Ornamental Gourd Forum. There is a old thread about a woman that was beading gourds. I think she put layers of wax on them and put the beads in the wax. Hers were very intricate, using the wax layers she added a lot of dimension to her gourds. Just think what great Easter eggs you could make beading egg gourds.

OMG - just amazing all that can be done...isn't it?

Diane - have you heard of these folks? http://www.artbeads.com/ ?
Their prices seemed reasonable - was looking at them for supplies and crystals...think I'll compare to the Fire Mountain Site you gave.

If I have I don't recall. I think it always pays to shop around and compare but especially for something like beads where the prices can vary drastically from place to place.

I just saw this thread...and I am jworking on ssending Chantel some gourd seeds...I will also share the beautiful wax/beaded gourd with you made by Jan that is no longer on DG.....She lived in Tombstone at the time. This gourd was gfeatured in a magazine reacently too. Jo

Jo - OMG...THAT is simply gorgeous!! This is all completely new to me!!! What incredible talent!!!

Yep, That's the one I was talking about. She showed her whole process and worked on that for years. She used layers of wax to create the dimensions. I think she was working of the African one at the time but had either done or was planning to do a Western one. I remember her talking about buffalos.

Holly,
.
I remember seeing it in a magazine, just don't remember which one. I am sure it was a Natrtional magazine--maybe Martha Stewart? Do you know?

Gita

I forget what magazine it was in...she told me about it.

No picture can do this gourd justice!! Jan managed a little Art Shop next door to The OK Corral in Tombstone...she would work on it in her shop and drew lots of interest. It took her about a year to do one...on the bottom of the gourd she worked a map of Africa....Needless to say....she was an Art Major in College!! I miss seeing her and her friendship. They moved to Oregon. Jo