Warty Gourd Challenge

The PA Gourd Gathering is next week (yay!!!) and I have been busy getting ready to teach 4 classes.  In addition, I decided to take the 2017 Warty Gourd Challenge!  The rules state that the warty gourd must be at least 50% warts, so yeah for my pyrography needs I like'em nice and smooth, and this was really a challenge to figure out what to do.

The gourd I chose has warts in column-like shapes all around it, and it reminded me of a butterfly bush.  Ding! Lightbulb turns on! So the warty is more of a base, that I painted the warts to be purple butterfly bush flowers.  

The butterflies were burned and cut out of a different gourd, and I burned the top and under parts of the wings so you can see the patterns any way you look at it. The butterfly bodies were done with QuikWood.  Their little antennae is copper wire.

One of the butterflies is not where I initially intended for it to be.  That is because when I applied the spray varnish ( on a windy day- was not being patient ) I stepped away from it and it blew right off the table onto a concrete patio!  The gourd suffered one hairline crack down the side, could have been worse.  Fortunately, the butterflies had not been attached yet so I was able to adhere the one over the crack and no one's the wiser.  Except you, of course!

​Enjoy this video for a closer look!