Discover a world of enchantment and creative possibilities with Sammie Crawford, the Fairy Gourdmother.(TM) Her painting and decorating techniques, patterns, and practical instruction will have you creating masterpieces. Gourds are everywhere: in gardens, at the grocery or farmer's market, and online. Whether you create a Christmas character, a frog prince, a snowman, a mermaid, a lighthouse, or a bow-legged cowboy, you'll be smiling from start to finish. Eight step-by-step projects are shown to get you started, and there are lots of other examples to inspire your own ideas of what a gourd can be.
Create your own Christmas ornaments and decorations with these techniques for painting gourds. Learn step-by-step to do-it-yourself with tips for selecting the right gourd to paint and the right paint and brush to use. 138 color photographs for 11 projects show ornaments, including a Lifesaver Tree, a Nutcracker King, and a Peppermint Santa. The gallery of completed projects will inspire your own ideas for holiday decorating.
Crafts of America is a celebration of the historical, regional, and national traditions explained through the words and work of today's best artisians. (back cover.).
Gourds -- with their infinite variety of unusual shapes and sizes, and their smooth surfaces -- have provided a perfect canvas for artists in the American Southwest over many years. It's easy to carve, paint, and stain them, and add embellishments like beads and feathers. These beautiful projects, including rainsticks, masks, and bowls, reflect the traditional designs, techniques, and colors that are indigenous to this region.
The magnificent possibilities of gourd crafting are all featured in this splendid guide, which covers all the basics. Find out how to choose the right gourd; what safety procedures to follow; how to clean, cut, and smooth the gourd; and which tools and materials to use. The 21 projects range from rattles and vessels to masks and rainsticks.
Making tedious wood carving techniques more approachable, Carving Small Characters in Wood offers simple methods in a smaller format to carve compact caricatures with personality. With step-by-step directions and photography, you’ll be able to learn and appreciate this form of miniature character wood carving. Starting off with basic lessons then slowly progressing into greater, more detailed challenges, author and renowned caricature woodcarver Jack Price is the leading voice to learn from on how to carve small statuettes!