Time to start Crafting for Christmas!

I recently saw a "Gourd Christmas Bell" that my friend Misty Orlove had made and decided that I wanted to make one for the Tiny Tool Time Blog 

I decided to make mine with two Gourd tops but the idea is the same. Go on over to the http://tinytooltime.blogspot.com and get all of the information you need to make one for yourself.

I really liked the way that this door hanger turned out and I think you could make one too!

Barbara

A Thunder Gourd Tutorial- "A Thunder What???"

Today's post is on how to make a "Thunder Gourd". What's a Thunder Gourd you ask? Well it's a gourd which, after being prepared and transformed, makes the sound of thunder when it's shaken.

Items needed for this project are:

Your Proxxon Jig Saw
Your Proxxon Belt Sander
Glossy White Spray Paint
Alcohol Inks
Stone Texture Spray Paint
Painters Tape
Drum Head
Spring with Bead attached to the end
Special synthetic drum head which heat shrinks and becomes tight
Black acrylic paint mixed with some school glue
Suede lace

Super Glue

The main thing to remember about this project is that the gourd must have the bottom cut off to attach the synthetic drum head and spring to, and a hole or holes put on the gourd to let the sound out. The decorating can be done in many ways. This is just one way of doing it.

 You need to choose a gourd that has somewhat of a handle to it. You need to clean the outside of the gourd and get rid of any dirt or mold on the exterior.

 Once the outside is clean you need to use your Proxxon Jig Saw to cut the bottom of the gourd off flat and not at an angle. When you get the bottom cut off you need to clean out the inside of the gourd. Make sure you leave nothing on the inside of the gourd that could flake off at a later time because it will fall down inside the gourd and end up on the drum head you will be attaching to the bottom.

 For my sound hole on this gourd, I cut the top off of the gourd also. It does make it easier to clean out the top by doing it this way too. I used my Proxxon Belt Sander to sand the top of the gourd and get rid of any marks. I then painted the inside of the gourd with the black paint and glue mixture and let it dry.

 I had about four thunder gourds going at the same time and took a picture of this one that I used blues and green alcohol inks on. I just used the painters tape to tape off the area that I wanted to color, sprayed the glossy acrylic paint and then used the alcohol inks. Once that was done and sealed, I blocked off the alcohol ink part and sprayed the textured stone spray paint on the rest of the gourd. I then sealed the whole gourd.

 Here's the first one that I finished and as you can see, it was done in different colors. I then drilled holes on both sides of the top of the gourd and strung the suede lace through it to use it to hang the thunder gourd up.

 I then glued the synthetic drum head to the gourd and once it dried, I trimmed it off and heat shrunk the drum head until it was tight. You then take your spring and poke a hole in the drum, put a tiny drop of super glue on the hole and thread your spring into the drum head.

 Woo Hoo! You're done! Now you just hold the drum by the neck of the gourd and shake it. The sound that comes out is remarkably like the sound of thunder.

I would truly appreciate it if you would go on over to: www.tinytooltime.blogspot.com  and leave me a comment if you enjoyed this tutorial, and also check out all the remarkable tools at: www.proxxon.com 

Barbara

A Gourd Tree made with Gourd tops

Check out my newest post up on the www.tinytooltime.blogspot.com and learn how to make a very cool tree out of the tops of gourd bowls which have been cut off. I think you'll enjoy it.

Barbara

The Mirror I just refinished

I just refinished an antique mirror, and you can find out how I did it over on The Tiny Tool Time Blog . I'm in the process of moving and I do believe I'm going to use it in my new bedroom.

Barbara

An Easy to Make Gourd Birdfeeder

Hi everyone! I have a new blog post up over on the www.tinytooltime.blogspot.com on how to make a gourd birdhouse.

Please take a look at the tutorial and let me know what you think.

Barbara

Hills and Valleys Gourd

I have another new post up on the www.tinytooltime.blogspot.com that you need to check out this week.

What do you think?

Barbara

A cute Maple Leaf Brooch

I've been using my Proxxon Tools and experimenting with some new Plaid Dyes to make a great Maple Leaf Brooch.

Hop on over to the www.tinytooltime.blogspot.com to see the tutorial on it!

Barbara 

A Thrift Chair Makeover On the Tiny Tool Time Blog!

Go on over to the Tiny Tool Time Blog to see how I turned an ugly Yard Sale find into a very pretty chair. I think you'll like what I have to say and show you on that blog today.

Barbara

I love Fall colors and gourd projects!

I've just posted a new tutorial on the Tiny Tool Time Blog. Why don't you hop on over to see it?

It's not hard to do when you have the right tools! And also check out the Proxxon website to see all the wonderful tools that you can add to your tool collection.

Barbara

A Gourd Necklace, what?????

Today I posted a new project about making a beautiful necklace out of a piece of leftover scrap gourd. It turned out very nicely if I do say so myself. Go on over to www.tinytooltime.blogspot.com to check out how it was made.

Barbara

I've been playing with the alcohol inks again!

But before I get into that, I'd like to remind or enlighten people who work with gourds about some safety things you need to adhere to if you are working with gourds.

If you don't follow these few simple steps you could very well end up in the hospital at some point unable to breathe and very sick.

Whenever you are cutting or carving on a gourd and even when you are wood burning on a gourd you need to wear a respirator. If you're not willing to do that then you need to know you're playing russian roulette with your lungs and health. If at all possible you need to do your gourd cutting and carving outdoors, unless you have an industrial dust collector like wood turners use. You may not have a problem for years and then suddenly you're having a hard time breathing and have flu like symptoms. You've waited too long and should seek medical attention before you end up in the hospital and on oxygen for who knows how long.

Whenever you wood burn you don't necessarily have to do it outside but you should at least open a window and use a fan on low to blow the fumes away from your face. Different companies sell small smoke/fume removers that even set on the table.

If you have long hair make sure that you have it pulled away from your face. The last thing you want is your hair wound around a carver or drill and pulled out of your head!

Also, you don't want to wear rubber gloves while using a drill or carver for the same reason.

You actually want to keep all of the gourd dust off of you and your body as much as possible while you're working and take a shower and wash your hair when your through so that the gourd dust that's in your hair doesn't end up on your pillowcase which you just then breathe in. I have seen people wear shower caps and long sleeved smocks etc. while working on gourds. Then all you need to clean is whatever has been exposed to the dust.

These are just a few safety tips but ones well worth telling everyone about.

Whenever you are working with your tools, please read the safety instructions that come with them and following those instructions.

Now head on over and see the latest gourd bowl that I made with alcohol inks and a woven rim.
Tiny Tool Time Blog

Barbara

Another Gourd Project

Hey Hey! Here's a new gourd project that I just completed. You can head over to www.tinytooltime.blogspot.com   to check out the complete tutorial! For finding just the right Tiny Tool for your workshop, go on over to: www.proxxon.com

Barbara

Playing with Alcohol Inks on a gourd

These days playing with alcohol inks has become a rage. People use it on Yupo paper, dominoes, tiles and GOURDS! Go on over to Tiny Tool Time Blog to see what I did with a rather rough looking cannonball gourd.

www.tinytooltimeblogspot.com


Barbara

A Beautiful Dreamcatcher

Today I have a new post up over on the www.tinytooltime.blogspot.com that shows the steps in making a dreamcatcher. Go on over and check it out!

Barbara

Spring Blooms!

Today I posted a little tutorial over on the Tiny Tool Time Blog on how to make some pretty Spring flowers from small gourds. Please hop on over there to get your dose of gourd!

And leave me a little love.

Barbara

A Card Holder made from an Apple Gourd

If you read this within the first couple of days of my posting this, then I will be at the Missouri Gourd Festival in Springfield, MO. While getting ready for this wonderful festival, I thought it might be fun to make a special piece to put my business cards in, as I have a booth and sell some supplies.

Items needed for this project: 

Proxxon Jig Saw STS 12/E

Proxxon Belt Sander BS/E

An Apple Gourd

A simple card holder

Glue

Apple Red Paint

Jacaranda Pod

Spray Sealer

I started out this project by first drawing a line around the card holder onto the top of the gourd and then cutting out the shape, using the Proxxon Jig Saw STS 12/E.

Here's what the gourd looked like after the gourd was opened. See all the gourd pulp inside?

The card holder sitting beside the gourd is the one that was used. Then I took the Proxxon Belt Sander BS/E and sanded all of the edges smooth. I was also trying out the fit if you will of the card holder as I worked. The hole looked so smooth and really fit the card holder well.

Once all was sanded smooth and the card holder fit, I painted the gourd, glued on the jacaranda pod, sealed the gourd with a good sealer and inserted the holder and glued it in. This is the final result.

This really is a nice piece and looks just like a big 'ole apple holding some business cards!! I know I'm going to get a lot of comments on this one from the people going through my booth. What do you think? Do you have any questions about the tools that I've been using? Just ask and if I don't know I'm sure Proxxon Will!

Barbara

A Name Tag from a Gourd Scrap!

This has been a rather busy week for me and the reason being that I have a Gourd Festival to go to in just a few weeks and I must prepare for it. One of the things that the Gourd Society would like for everyone to do is wear a name tag made out of a piece of gourd. You can decorate it in anyway that you choose but they would like the base to be a gourd piece. Sooo, I've had a tag that I made the first year that I participated in the show but had said that I was going to make a new one for this year. If you will go over to Tiny Tool Time Blog you can see the instructions for the new name tag that I made and the neat tools I used to do it with!

Barbara

Making a Tiny Drum for Decor

I've posted the instructions for making this adorable tiny drum with Native American traits onto the Tiny Tool Time Blog. Please take a moment to go on over, read the tutorial and leave me a comment or two.

Proxxon Tools is a great company to purchase your tiny tools from. Go to here to see the post:
www.tinytooltime.blogspot.com

Barbara

How about some Yard Birds?

I had a request for a few of my funky yard birds at a place where I sell my gourd art. They were putting up a display for Spring. So, I've been working diligently this week on six new yard birds!

These "Yard Birds" which have actually been made from gourds and gourd pieces and can be put out in your flower bed for the Summer. Once the season is over though it is best if you bring them in, wipe them off and seal them again before putting them out in your flower bed for another Summer! I love using my Proxxon Jigsaw for gourds when I work and I'm so happy to have had the opportunity to use one. You really need to check out all the tools at www.proxxon.com , you'll have a wish list in no time! 

Please go over to the Tiny Tool Time Blog to get the instructions on how to create a few of these birds for yourself and leave me some love in the comments section.

Barbara

Trying out a new tool and lovin' it!

Hello everyone! I've done a little tutorial for you using my Proxxon Jig Saw STS 12/E and my brand new "Belt Sander BS/E". I'll tell you what, I've been so excited to receive my new belt sander! I had a terrible time deciding whether I wanted to try the jigsaw or the sander out first and chose the jigsaw first and then received the Delta Sander OZI/E to try! These tiny tools are just amazing folks! If you use or need some tiny tools, then I would definitely recommend the Proxxon brand.

If you'd like to know how I made this pendant necklace, head on over to the Tiny Tool Time blog. Please leave me a comment and let me know how you feel about my tutorials. Until next time,

Barbara