Pumpkins got a Tee Time!

There is a Tee Time for pumpkins! I was called upon last evening with a rather unusual request. Would I paint pumpkins as a prize for a benefit golf tournament? Would I paint pumpkins? Well, I have done this before for a church bazaar years ago, but for a golf tournament? As the prize? Hmmm..then the full story came tumbling out. The organizers needed a "Booby Prize" ..the prize for those in last place. Yep..that sounded just like something that I might make! Some might take offense in being asked to donate this type of prize but I felt this was just the right job for me! No pressure! I mean..just how hard could it be to make a prize for last place? I readily accepted the task. This would be a cinch!

I started thinking after hanging up the phone...I have no pumpkins! Well, that is a fine Howdy Doody! The tournament was just a few days off and I really needed to get started if I was going to get three prizes finished in time. Ha! I remembered the "Pumpkin Lamp"! Gourds! I have a ready supply of gourds on hand at all times. A pumpkin gourd would have to suffice! Last year, I had painted gourds as Jack-O-Lanterns with little ghosties on the top..I would do a repeat of those! I needed something quick and easy..these were perfect! This morning, I pulled three gourds and started my painting job. By mid-morning, the gourds were all painted and only needed a clear coat of varnish to protect the artwork. My "Booby Prize" was all ready! Now..the golf tournament can go on as scheduled..the all-important "Booby Prize" was available!

Last night, I posted a picture of some little gourd owls. This little trio was to be sent off to a very nice lady but I still needed a box. I pondered and pondered the fact. I looked through everything I had on hand..no box. I decided that the owls needed a box that had a "woodsy" feel to it but also looked a bit antique. The picture above shows my efforts in creating a suitable home for the owls! I think it just about "fits". Seems this week is to be filled with creative efforts as these two projects...the pumpkins and the owls...have led to several orders! The rest of the week will be busy indeed!

Gobs of Gourds!

The weather is not cooperating with the gardens at all right now. It is still very hot and unbelievably dry. I will just have to wait until we get a rain before planting my fall garden. This is not all bad though as right now the rogue watermelon is still rampantly taking over the entire garden area. There are seven more melons on this single vine and hundreds of new blossoms each day. Since gardening is out of the question at the moment, it is time to work on some craft projects. With Halloween just around the corner, I thought making Jack-O-Lantern gourds would be a fun idea. I had no idea just how many gourds might be in my stash since I sort of "hid" them from view. My gourds are stored in my living room..I know most people would use a garage or shed for this purpose but the fact is..I have neither. Now the gourds that I use can be as small as a golf ball or as large as a basketball or any size in between, so you can imagine the difficulty in storing any number of them. I try to keep most out of sight so creativity is a necessity. I have gourds stashed in baskets under tables, in a wooden box used as a coffee table and as decorations. I like to say they are "hidden in plain sight"! As I said, I had not idea just how many I had accumulated over this past year. My brother grew a bunch for me and I did order some "specialty" sizes and shapes. As I gathered them, I simply stored them for future use. I do most of my "gourd work" in Fall and Winter when there is not a lot of outside work to be done. Today when I went to examine the gourds to find the perfect one to create a Halloween ornament, I was almost overwhelmed..literally. This last time my brother brought me a truckload of gourds, I had asked my son's help in "storing" them. He told me not to worry..he would take care of it. I should have worried. Standing diagonally in the corner of the room is a large cedar wardrobe. This thing must be at least six feet tall and a good three feet wide..the perfect place to store gourds..only he did not store them inside the closet. He stored them behind the closet! He merely dropped the gourds one by one behind the wardrobe! I tugged on the huge piece of furniture only to have an avalanche of gourds tumble out from behind and on top of me! It is a good thing that gourds are almost feather-light when they are dry! Now, I have plenty of shapes and sizes to choose from for my Jack-O-Lanterns! Everywhere! Gobs of Gourds!

This is a picture of last years' attempts at Halloween gourds!