One Man's Trash ...

SO I walked away from a yardsale with a huge box of old gourds. 

Is it odd that I felt like I had just struck gold???

You know I have a love affair with gourds. Maybe better described as 

a secret longing, since my efforts are always foiled by evil mildew. 

A brown and barefooted old fella said he just throws out the seeds and the vines take over  some 

small trees in his backyard. In the winter, he said he just  yanks the gourds down and 

throws them in the shed. He acted like he'd never heard of powdery mildew and

 let the box of gourds go for $2. I danced my way to the car.

I've fiddled away lots of happy hours with those gourds these last couple of months. 

They have to be soaked, then scrubbed with furniture stripping pads to remove the 

outer 'skin'. Beautiful designs emerge - it's the coolest thing. Every one 

has different patterns, various tones and hues created by the temperatures and 

growing conditions they endured.

And that would preach if we wanted to travel a rabbit trail ...

 Drilling a hole and removing the dried seeds and pulp take time, but are a satisfying 

(if messy) way to pass time while talking with boys, almost-watching  a football game 

or catching an episode of The Paradise.

Choosing a font for the saying and applying it is tedious, but nail polish remover 

can make a mistake simply vanish. I have to admit adapting the bird image from a 

Tasha Tudor illustration.

Sealing the finished gourd with polyurethane is the icing on the cake.

The patterns emerge and seem to glow- my favorite part of the entire process.

There are more of these, and some pretty striking long neck gourds that 

are actually correctly sized birdhouses.  I'll be selling them at a local craft show 

next weekend. Come take a peek!

Whatever's left will be appearing in my Etsy shop soon.