About Me; How to Care for Your Gourd; How to Use a Healing Gourd
ABOUT ME:
I (Linda Hutkin Slade) come from a family with artistic tendencies and have enjoyed playing with fiber arts for close to 20 years. Recently I decided to spend more time focusing on my art and opened this Etsy Shop – Light of the Firefly. In order to support my fiber arts habit I work as a clinical social worker at a local hospital. My other passion is coaching triathlon, which I do for the Crohn’s and Colitis Foundation’s Team Challenge along with my husband, Skip. I have two grown sons and live with my family in Encinitas.
HOW TO PROPERLY CARE FOR YOUR GOURD:
If you have invested in a piece of gourd art you will want to know how to care for it. Although the gourd is an organic vessel it is intended for decoration and not for practical use. This includes using it as a vase. (If you have purchased a “vase” please use only dry flowers in it or else insert a glass liner to make sure there are no leaks.) While the insides of these gourds have been coated with acrylic paint they are not intended for use with food or liquids.
Gourds are like wood and I’ve applied at least 3 coats of protective finishing wax to the outside of your gourd. To keep it looking pristine simply dust it and occasionally polish it with a soft cloth. Each gourd looks different and is unique. I use the best inks and acrylics available but eventually the colors may fade if exposed to direct sunlight. To preserve the colors try to select an appropriate location to display your gourd. Finally, gourds should never be dropped. They may not look delicate but they can be like fine china and may shatter if dropped. Stems can be particularly fragile and can break easily.
With some simple TLC you should be able to enjoy your gourd for many many years!
SUGGESTIONS FOR HOW TO USE A HEALING GOURD:
Gourds are organic vessels that can hold and absorb your thoughts and emotions and represent your hopes and dreams. Write your fears, concerns, worries, thoughts, emotions, or desires on a piece of paper and place that paper in the gourd. Give the gourd time to absorb what you have written. Think about what you have written each time you see the gourd. After some time has passed you may choose to leave the paper in the gourd or dispose of it by simply throwing it away, burying it, or even burning it. Use your gourd as a vessel to “contain” a negative emotion or a concern you have and allow the gourd to remind you of those hopes and dreams that you have written as you move from the negative to the positive.
