Gourds! From Gross to Gory...

Here they are! These pesky little things have been waiting to come alive for some time now! My Mom grew these gourds in her garden two years ago...but they didn't look like this when they came out of the patch! She picked tons of gourds and stored them over the winter (and another winter) in her barn. A few months ago I stole a bunch from her (ok...I'm not that bad...I did ask) and made them come alive again with smiles and wild expressions! Some are ornaments, some were left alone to display in a bowl or set on a little cup or whatever suits your fancy!

Below is what they looked like when they were still dead. Yuck! Flaky skin and mold!

Here's what they looked like after a bath with a good scrubbing...my long nails took a beating! But it was well worth it.

And here they are in their full glory!

A trio of skulls - I didn't post a photo, but I painted vertebrae in the back as well!

The two with wire handles are smaller gourds meant to hang as ornaments from a Halloween feather tree or a cabinet knob.

This trio is my favorite. Their bodies are made from this types of gourd that I'd never seen before...sort of like a stunted birdhouse gourd. The tiny neck was perfect for perching another gourd for a head! Chenille steam arms and legs give them more expression (and something to stand on!)
Two troublesome skeletons. Watch out! They like to play tricks on the unsuspecting!

Here's a little display I put together on my china cabinet. I put Ben's mask on the apothecary jar and now it looks haunted... The two jars on the right are filled with faces and the white needle felted wool pumpkin was made for me by my Mom...it's a portrait of my little sister when she was a baby! :)

If you're interested in grabbing one of these little guys, check them out in my Etsy store! :)

And I'll leave you with this little guy resting in a bed of sweet millinery. :)