Renee ~ kind of you to stop in and comment, so happy you enjoy this piece!!!  I am honored to say this is custom created as a keepsake wedding cake topper... I love the added touch of the  heart w/ s + r  wonderfully romantic.  I cannot claim that idea ~ the clients passed along that gem in their request.  ; )   Thanks so much for visiting.

Hello Gessy!  ; )   Nice to have your visit.  Through the winter they naturally dry.  Come February or March most of the gourds are dry, and ready for crafting.  They will have a black, white and brownish mold appearance.  You also know they are dried well when you can hear the seeds rattling inside.  Some gourds are better grown in certain areas than others.   It is a fascinating process.  When crafting gourds there are cautions regarding the mold - proper cleaning and wearing of a mask to prevent inhalation of the dust particles.  The American Gourd Society and local gourd groups have a wealth of information if you are interested. 

Hello Carol,  ...great to have your visit to my Gather page!  Nice to hear you enjoy this piece!!  I try to be as accurate as possible, it can be a bit time consuming to be exact but I love the final effect.

Trish - thanks for your visit!  Drying them is a very natural process, the only trouble is some will rot and never dry out properly, thats nothing that can really be helped.  Otherwise, they can be left on the vine until the vine dries to the gourd - then it is okay to remove.  They can be stored in a dry location.  They can look awful before they are cleaned due to the mold, but more often than not they are fine and just have to continue to dry out.  You might be interested in checking out the American Gourd Society is site:   www.americangourdsociety.org

g'nite ... until we meet again  ; )

it is a blessing to make it to this meeting...lol... 5-8 mins before the convo we had a little calf get out  ; S  it never fails, something comes up ... or should I say 'gets out'  lol

Great to be with all, don't want it to end!!!  I will look ya's up and look forward to another 'Gather of Resolutionistas'  have a blessed evening!

Jan, I will look up your page... I would love to see your work and hear about your dolphin swim!!  Oddly enough my grandpa was a wonderful stained glass artist he passed some years ago, but I love that art!!  Congrats on your accomplishments... I think that really feed into more successes!  Its getting that first one that seems a real battle.

Hello Jan, happy grad day to you and your daughter - thats a great feeling!!  I have one off to college, Ball State Univ. and ...littles at home yet.  I would love to hear about your dolphin outting too, thats another sweet goal I would love to live out!

I have a book here at my elbow I am VERY SIKED about!!!!!!!!!  Some or all may have heard of  Barbara Sher, motivational, career coach ... she is quite inspiring and (basic butt-kicking) really instructional to 'go for your goals'  "Wishcraft"  I started it some time ago and 'honestly' skipped the beginning, because I thought I had the 'talent search' part of it done ... but now I am rereading and not skipping a beat!!!  WONDERFUL STUFF !

Jennifer, thanks for your comments on a slow pace... I am hopeful to pull together some real strengths on my own, with a large family we cannot afford the actual school setting, online or off... so I am winging it on my own.  Little by little,... patience, right?!? ; )   ...that's the hard part too.

Trish,... I am focused, almost a CURSE, Im afraid... it can be a good thing to have this much determination, just don't want other things to suffer in the process!  I will be happy to post a pic of my whale when its done,... I have sketched it but it is just on paper so far.  I did create a large emperor penguin this past winter, got stumped with the base (feet) but want to finish it and post asap.  ; )   Sometimes I think I spread myself too thin!

I don't keep up with these chats well, but I will do my best...  ; s   Heather, I sympathize with the desire to lose weight - I have found  www.sparkpeople.com to be a wonderful resource!!  You can look up Yo-Yo Coasters if you like, thats my team!  It is so important to feel good about yourself, and be in your personal best health you can be in.  It boosts our confidence and gives us that extra edge!  ; ) 

Trish, my award info is on my page if you want a little more detail - it was offered through the American Gourd Society, their summer '09 issue of The Gourd Magazine, I placed third in their Patriotic-themed Gourd contest nationwide, I am doin' a happy dance!  lol 

Gessy, good for you 'taking a watercolor course'  art is wonderfully satisfying and not limited to any one person... best wishes with that.   Trish, my writing is usually for children... I have recently completed a writing course through the ICL and LOVED IT, want to start out publishing NF art tutorials ... my art 'samples' can be found at my gather page:   www.artisme.gather.com     or my portfolio:  www.artwanted.com/artisme   thanks for asking.  Trish, I want to create a whale from a gourd... I have seen it done before, but I want one of my own...lol...

Kim, thanks that means so much to me to know I am motivating others!  Hello Gessy, and Jennifer, Trish ...

Thanks!  I was very happy with the award... my classes have slowed a bit, with the kids home from school, but I feel I have progressed well through the initial review session, and have moved into the second session working with basic ideas and history of animation.   SLOW going, but still going.

Hello Kim ... g' to be in touch this evening... mentioning 'sailing' I have a goal to see whales in person some day.  ; )   Other than that I have current goals of publishing my writings and gaining a viable income with my art.

...hello Resolutionistas... glad to be here, just didn't see exactly how to jump in right away...  g'evening!  ; )

Thanks for your visit, glad you enjoyed this piece.