Floral Fantasy is a new series that I have been working on and this is the first piece in this series.   The gourd, of course, was cleaned and cut out.  I always clean seal the interior of the gourd first because as I am doing that I am mentally designing the exterior. After the design was drawn on I began wood burning the design, applied the eggshell and added the small gourd for the top.  I used my new Dr. PH martin’s Bombay inks for the color-and I love those inks!

The gourd on the left is the second in the Floral fantasy series.  Again, the gourd was cut and cleaned, inside sealed.  I wood burned the flower design and then decided to add an eggshell mosaic under the flower design, so that the entire bottom of the gourd was covered with the eggshell mosaic.  I painted the eggshell with a terra-cotta color and to me, at least, it looked like a terra-cotta clay pot that has tiny little cracks in it.  I once again used the Bombay inks for color on the flowers and leaves, and then added the sea grass rim with imitation sinew.  The addition of the sweet gum pods was the final touch, and I painted them with a purple glitter.  I just love the final result.

The turtle necklace is an eggshell mosaic that I had in my Etsy shop and I also have a few in the Art and Antiques Gallery in Eau Galle.  The three necklaces are what I taught at the gourd meeting in July, and hopefully will be teaching again February at the state show which is held in Melbourne.

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