Plans for a New Line of Craft Work Begin!

Plans for a New Line of Craft Work Begin!

I enjoy pyrography (woodburning). It is the first craft I've found that is easy, you see immediate results of your work, you can design your own patterns or use others', either as is or altering them to suit what you want. Pyrography can also be done of several different mediums, not just wood. Leather takes it beautifully, and dried gourds provide interesting shapes from which to work the designs around.

This latter medium is what I am currently researching (again). I bought some gourd seeds the other day and intend to plant one or two of them. I don't want a huge pile of gourds, at least not yet. Even more immediate is the probability of selling our place and moving back to Texas, and trying to move gourd plants just does not sound like a fun endeavor, as I would not leave them here. LOL

I'm considering planting 4 seeds in a huge terracotta pot. The best 2 plants that come up will be the ones I keep, removing the others. Moving the pot with a trellis in it for holding the vines & gourds will be easier than if I was to try digging them up later. Which probably wouldn't work anyway. They have such a long growing season (up to 180 days!) that transporting them in our move once the place sells, should be ok even if it's later in the growing cycle. I'd just have to be very careful with it. Hubby will love that!

I found a few interesting sites with information on gourd shapes & sizes, how to grow & dry them, and crafts to make from them, pyrography included. Some of the most beautiful I've seen also have embellishments such as basket weaving, inlaid stones, metal leafing, beads, paints & stains, etc. The ideas seem endless.

Making a few bucks extra for myself would really be nice, and I think growing & drying the gourds, then selling them, whether plain or embellished, should be a good way to make a few bucks. I could sell them at flea markets and/or online. If I get proficient enough at it, I could even offer classes on it.

So, that's my new project - grow gourds, dry them, decorate them, sell them, and offer classes. I would love to teach something. I enjoy teaching and working with people, so teaching something fun just might pay off!

Hoodoo Hill Inventory Additions

I've been adding more inventory to the website & Etsy sites. I opened an Artfire account, but haven't placed any of the inventory in there yet. Need to figure out how to really get this business going. I'd like to offer more plants (herbs, small trees), oils & herbs for spiritual work, amulets (made some really cool ones w/ Sweet Gum balls), and other crafts. Here's a picture of the amulets:

 The "Love & Romance" amulet is on the left, the "Money & Abundance" amulet is on the stone, and the "Protection" amulet is on the right. They're filled with the appropriate herbs & oils. The "Love & Romance" amulet has an incredible rose scent. These are $10 each.

There are, of course, several zoological items to choose as well, such as deer teeth & bones, macaw feathers, mud dauber's nests, etc.. 

Deer Bones $5 each

 

Deer Teeth $5 each

Mud Dauber's Nest

Small $10, Medium $14, Large $20

Some time this summer I should have opossum bones (they're currently being "cleaned" by ants & bugs inside a hollow log in the woods). We found the poor thing drowned in the creek - we think one of the horses stomped it to death. The skull is perfect as are most of the other bones. Once its stripped enough I'll finish cleaning it. The skull is mine to keep, the bones I'll keep some and offer some for sale.

I have also collected bark from fallen trees: Sweet Gum (bark & pith), Cedar, Oak, Silver Birch. These are $5/large piece.

I need to get my drying racks built downstairs, it will make the laying out & drying process so much more organized. Right now I have things all over the place - here in the house as well as downstairs! Driving me nuts!

Anyway, that's about it for now - Spring Cleaning to get started on since its far too windy to dig more in the garden, and its going to rain. So I might as well start inside! Ugh, that includes windows. :( This is gonna suck! :)