2022 Workshop Registration

Instructor: Ana Poma

Class Size: Min—2  Max—12

Level of Difficulty: Beginner 

We will use 3 different gourds to create a giraffe as it would be created in Peru. Ana will have tools that Peruvians use so you can try them, but you can also use pieces of wood to learn how to burn giraffe stains (Peruvian technique) and to incorporate different materials such as leather for ears. 10-12 inches tall. You will learn how to burn your gourd to make it black and shiny; how to scratch your pattern to make it look more three-dimensional; and how to shine and protect it using wax and heat to seal it in. Expect to finish this project within the class time.

Student needs to bring: Apron, woodburner and tips, rotary carver with bits

Instructor will bring: Gourds to build the giraffe, glue, leather, pieces of wood for the horns, tracing paper, carbon paper, pattern, tutorial, torch

Instructor: Susan Taber

Class Size: Min—10

Level of Difficulty: Beginner

Learn to dry brush and create soft features on a cute penguin gourd. Expect to finish the project during this class.

Student needs to bring: angle brushes, dry stencil brushes, hair dryer, sea sponge

Instructor will bring: gourd, paint, scarf, and hat

Instructor: Marla Garber

Class Size: Min—6  Max—12

Level of Difficulty: All

Prerequisite skill: Know how to use a gourd saw.

In this class we ill cut the pieces needed to build and sculpt a Green Sea Turtle. We will paint it, seal it, and mount it on a beautiful piece of Mopani African Wood. Expect to finish the project in this class.

Student needs to bring: gourd saw, saw blades, awl, small needle nose pliers, paint brushes, stencil brushes, hot glue gun, glue sticks, drill with 3/8" and 7/64" drill bits

Instructor will bring: goose gourd, spinner gourd, tutorial, and other supplies to complete the turtle

Instructor: Robin Bryson

Class Size: Min—1  Max—12

Level of Difficulty: All

Create a unique relief carved gourd antler cross from a gourd piece accented with woodburning shading and a semi-precious stone. Expect to finish the project in this class.

Student needs to bring: carver with dremel bits #116, #110 (inverted cone), and #107, #105 (tiny balls); E600 glue; temperature controlled woodburner with rounds skew tip; mask; safety glasses

Instructor will bring: gourd piece, tutorial, pattern, cabochan, bail, leather strip, sandpaper

Instructor: Vickie Echols

Class Size: Min—5   Max—12

Level of Difficulty: All

This is a sweet basket that is worked in one continuous coil. Pine needles are coiled around the gourd and we will learn a variety of stiches including how to work beads into our coiling. We will finish off by making a double handle and learning how to give it extra support. Expect to finish this project during class.

Prerequisite skill: Ability to handle needle and thread 

Students need to bring: needle nose pliers, fine tipped wire cutters, sharp scissors

Instructor will supply: prepared gourd, glycerinated pine needles, porcelain beads, waxed linen, sewing needle, detailed instructions (emailed after class)

Instructor: Karen Brown

Class Size: Min—3   Max—12

Level of Difficulty: Beginner

Students will be coiling paper twist onto a gourd and attaching a whitetail deer antler to the piece. We will first decorate the gourd with stencils and alcohol inks. Students will choose the color theme, paper twist, thread color, and antler to use on their project. Expect to finish project during the class.

Prerequisite skills: Hand sewing experience helpful but not necessary.

Students will need to bring: nothing

Instructor will supply: handout, gourds, paper twist, antler, thread, stencils, inks, and finish 

Instructor: Jeanne Ryan

Class Size: Min—7    Max—12

Level of Difficulty: All

Coil pine needles around a center slice of agate and insert it into the front center of the gourd. Swirl pine needles around the agate and up to encircle the top opening of the gourd. Use translucent acrylics and regular acrylics to enhance the patterns on the agate.

Prerequisite Skills: Experience in coiling helpful but not necessary.

Students will need to bring: clean 8 to 9 inch canteen gourd with a hole cut on the side large enough to put you hand in. (This will be the top of the front of the gourd. The stem side will be the back side.) A small drill and 7/64 inch bit. Gourd saw. Small scissors, small needle nose plyer, small hammer, cloth measuring tape.

Instructor will supply: sliced agate, acrylic translucent and opaque paint, finishing spray, pine needles, waxed linen, beads, heat gun to share. 

Instructor: Madonna Watermon

Class Size: Min—1   Max—10

Level of Difficulty: Advanced

Students will learn how to carve three, 3-demensional maple leaves and how to undermine them. Learning the techniques for using your tools properly will be a key focus in this class. Expect to finish this project within the class time.

Prerequisite Skills: previous knowledge of using a carver and sander

Students need to bring: dust mask, pencil, electric sander with different sanding grits, sanding paper with different grits (for hand sanding), files, carver with diamond burs (whatever you have). Students should also bring diamond wheel burs or anything they like to undermine with.

Instructor will supply: gourd shard, tutorial, pattern, tracing paper, 1/16 burs (#14 round diamond, and #699 carbide)

Instructor: Susan Tabor

Class Size: Max—10

Level of Difficulty: Intermediate

Learn to paint dry brush methods and pyramiding of colors. Improve brush strokes and skill painting a beautiful spring garden bunny! Expect to finish project in class.

Prerequisite Skills: Beginner painting skills

Student needs to bring: angle brushes, dry stencil brushes, hair dryer

Instructor will supply: gourd, paint

Instructor: Susan Tabor

Class Size: Max—10

Level of Difficulty: Intermediate

Paint a sweet little Santa gourd! Learn dry brushing and the rake brush methods to create hair. Learn the secrets to painting realistic eyes and pyramiding color. Expect to finish project in class.

Prerequisite Skills: basic painting

Student needs to bring: paint brushes, take brush, dry stencil brushes, hair dryer

Instructor will provide: gourd, paint

Instructor: Marla Garber

Class Size: Min—6   Max—12

Level of Difficulty: Intermediate

This class will be woodburning, light carving, and using ink dyes. Learn how to carve feathers then paint it. You will inset a cabochon in the lower center of the pattern. To finish it off add a pine needle rim and attach feathers. Expect to finish this project during class.

Prerequisite Skills: woodburning, carving, using a gourd saw

Student needs to bring: woodburner, rounded skew pen, medium ball or spoon-shader pen. gourd saw and blades, heat gun, gourd saw, carver, small and medium ball burrs, double cut burrs

Instructor will supply: ready to use canteen gourd opened and cleaned inside, ink dyes, tutorial and pattern, leather lacing, cabochon, beads

Instructor: Robin Bryson

Class Size: Min—1   Max—12

Level of Difficulty: Intermediate

Create a spectacular hanging horse gourd planter. Learn how to woodburn and paint on the inner part of the gourd. The texture is very different than the outer shell. Enhanced with ink dye and pine needles woven around the rim. Expect to finish this project during class.

Student needs to bring: temperature controlled woodburner with a rounded skew tip, face mask, protective eye wear, E6000 glue, and small sharp scissors

Instructor will supply: turtorial, pattern, clean and prepared gourd, ink dyes, micro brushes, pine needles, wax linen, embellishments, artificial plants, bail and leather strip

Instructor: Vickie Echols

Class Size: Min—5   Max—12

Level of Difficulty: All

Learn how to coil pine needles onto a black walnut slice using hat raffia to create a small basket. You will work on shaping techniques and several types of coiling stitches. You will have a choice of 2 different colors along with natural pine needles that are glycerinated so they are gentle to your hands. Finished project is approximately 4" x 4". Do not expect to finish this project during class.

Prerequisite Skills: ability to use a needle

Student needs to bring: Needle nose pliers, sharp scissors, fine tip wire cutters

Instructor will supply: natural and dyed glycerinated pine needles, hat raffia, stitching needle, black walnut slice, detailed tutorial emailed after class

Instructor: Karen Brown

Class Size: Min—4   Max—12

Level of Difficulty: Beginner

A hands-on class for beginners. Karen will cover everything you'll need to know about gourd in this class starting with seeds and going through the tools, products, and safety equipment used in our craft. You will get to try out woodburning, sanding, carving and much more in this informative fun filled class. Try tools before you buy them and learn what all those burrs are used for in your Dremel (carving) kit. Let Karen share her 25 years of experience with you .

Student needs to bring: wear old clothes—this is a messy class

Instructor will supply: handout, gourd scraps, and all items used in this class

Instructor: Jeannie Ryan

Class Size: Min—7   Max—10

Level of Difficulty: Intermediate

We will weave a Teneriffe design onto a stained gourd. 1) Cut hole for Teneriffe design. 2) Stain gourd with alcohol inks. 3) Drill holes for warp threads. 4) Weave warp. Weave design into warp while learning several Teneriffe stitches. Embellish Teneriffe with beads. You may finish this project in class.

Student needs to bring: a cleaned gourd at least 8" in diameter with a top hole big enough to fit your hand in and a 4" circular hole in the front of the gourd. A small drill and 7/64 drill bit, small scissors, small needle nose pliers. Optional: woodburner to enhance top opening of gourd.

Instructor will supply: warp and wave thread, yarns and other weaving material, alcohol ink stains, finish spray, heat gun to share, beads to enhance weave design, needles.

Instructor: Carolyn Owen

Class Size: Min—5   Max—12

Level of Difficulty: Advanced

This class will incorporate a variety of skills as we woodburn detail into butterflies then carve around them to recess the filigree area. Techniques for smoothing the area before cutting the filigree holes will be discussed. Filigree holes will be drilled in a leaf pattern. The rim will then be finished with embossing powders.

Prerequisite Skills: working knowledge of power carver. Flat round diamond burrs for sanding. Ability to use a mini jig saw.

Student needs to bring: mini jig saw, extra blades, power carver with a variety of burrs including a filigree burr, dust mask, safety glasses, heat tool, ink dyes with applicators, gloves, small brush to apply glue for embossing, woodburner to burn butterfly details.

Instructor will supply: full color tutorial, patterns, carbon paper, cleaned gourd painted black on inside, embossing powders, glue, tape

Instructor: Marla Garber

Class Size: Min—6    Max—12

Level of Difficulty: Beginner

Weight a curly neck dipper gourd, attach a gourd for the head, then sculpt the ears, horns, eyes. Paint the eyes and start the spots on the head and neck. You will finish the rest of the spots at home.

Student needs to bring: gourd saw, awl, hot glue gun and glue sticks, silicon sculpting tools, gloves if you are sensitive to QuickWood, drill and 3/8" drill bit, small funnel no larger opening than 3/8", assorted paint brushes.

Instructor will supply: tutorial, QuickWood, spinner gourds, paints, curly neck dipper gourd

Instructor: Robin Bryson

Class Size: Min—1   Max—12

Level of Difficulty: All

Learn how to use masking fluid, a dab of alcohol inks, and enhancing the horse design with white flecks and pointillism (pen & ink dots). Expect to finish this project during class.

Students need to bring: a clean cut and ready gourd at least 13" tall with the circumference around the center 22-1/2". Any smaller may distort the design.

Instructor will supply: pattern ready to transfer, tutorial, masking fluid, rubbing alcohol, alcohol inks, brushes, pallets, pitt pens, yarn doll needles, embroidery thread.

Instructor: Vickie Echols

Class Size: Min—5   Max—12

Vickie loves adding beads to pine needle baskets and these beads it is so easy to make your own. We will start with a demo of how to make Tyvek beads and then you can jump in and go bead crazy. We will learn some cool effects that are created by coloring and heating Tyvek. There will be lots of goodies that may be incorporated into your beads and flowers. Expect to finish this project during class.

Student needs to bring: heat tool, scissors

Instructor will supply: Tyvek, inks, pads, bamboo skewer, glue sticks, foils, tapes, cellophane, Mylar, and a detailed tutorial emailed after the class

Instructor: Karen Brown

Class Size: Min—4   Max—12

Level of Difficulty: Beginner

A small gourd will be used for the pyrography project in this class. We will transfer a pattern onto the gourd and use woodburners to shade in the design. This was Joe Lee's class (Karen's first teacher 25 years ago.) It is for folks new to pyrography who would like to work on a small project and get used to the shading of a piece. Do not expect to finish this project in class.

Student needs to bring: temperature adjustable woodburning unit with a skew or spear tip/pen. Smaller is better.

Instructor will provide: handout, gourd, eye hook, leather cording, patterns, and transfer materials

Instructor: Ana Poma

Class Size: Min—2   Max—12

Level of Difficulty: Beginner

Ana's Peruvian family has made gourd art for many years. She will show how they would create this gourd vase using simple tools. These tools will be available for you to try, but you are welcome to use your woodburner and carver as well. Learn how to burn you gourd to make it black and shiny. Learn how to gouge out your pattern to make it look more 3-D and learn how to give it a shine and protection by using wax and heat to seal it. Expect to finish this project during class.

Student needs to bring: Dremel carver with different bits, woodburner and tips

Instructor will supply: 8–10 inch gourds, peruvian tools, tutorial, pattern, tracing paper, transfer paper

Instructor: Nancy Jacobson

Class Size: Min—5   Max—12

Level of Difficulty: All

This workshop is to demonstrate how to combine gourds and a variety of objects you might find around the house into something fun. Use your imagination and have fun creating a unique Ozark Gourdillo Armadillo. If you have a woodburner or paint pens, bring them, but either can be used. Nancy will show her basic design idea for the Gourdillo, but bring your imagination and use it at will. No two Gourdillos will be alike. Expect to finish this project during the class.

Student needs to bring: You may bring your own woodburner, and acrylic paint pens if you have them.

Instructor will supply: pre-cut gourds, wood forks, spoons, rings, leather dyes, acrylic paint pens to share, wood glue, rubber gloves, brass upholstery tacks, and other miscellaneous embellishments and fasteners.

Instructor: Sue Taber

Class Size: Min—10

Level of Difficulty: Beginner

Paint a darling little snowman gourd lamp. Learn dry bushing methods, and the secret to soft eyes. Expect to finish this project in the class.

Student needs to bring: paint brushes, angle brushes, dry stencil brushes, hair dryer

Instructor will supply: gourd, paint, hat, scarf