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Note: If using Outlook click the above bar where it says “Click to download photos” The photos are the best part!
In This Issue: This month we are thrilled to feature Winnipeg artist Sandra McKelvey. Sandra is a psychiatric nurse with many hobbies or more fittingly, she is a woman who works in order to support her hobbies! When meeting Sandra you quickly realize that she is a complex woman who is most at home with a wood carving knife in her hand and a gourd between her knees. She is a collector of embellishments and it is guaranteed when going through her pockets or purses you will always find something of great interest. Please welcome Sandra McKelvey...we are overjoyed that she is here today.  How many of you remember the days when the choices of gourd supplies included only shoe polish and dyes? Thank goodness it is 2009 and all that has changed. Carolyn and Linda have been very busy the past few months expanding the Northern Dipper product line and now, in this issue, we are happy to be introducing a few of these fabulous items. It is all very exciting and will open the door for additional choices for your gourd creations.  First Leaves
For those readers who have planted their gourd seeds they should be popping up at a rapid rate. So now that we have arrived here, what is next? We want you to be successful at growing gourds as it can be a very rewarding garden experience. And really, when you think about it, how many artists can really say that they grow their own art materials. Now that is cool!
Now please welcome Sandra McKelvey. She has been pacing in the wings and is now ready to step up to the microphone!
 Sandra with a work in progress. Since Sandra was a child she has been drawn to textures. At a very young age she began knitting and working with fabric; a skill she came by naturally as her mom was very creative with the needle and thread. As Sandra got older she turned to wood and has spent years refinishing furniture. She states "I love that brainlesss zone I get into when sanding and finding the beautiful wood under the layers and years of paint and grime." Sandra accompanied her mom to a carving class and it was like a door opened for her. Wood, sanding, finicky little knives and no chemicals....she just loved it! Her friends joke that Sandra has a "head thing" going on meaning that she is always studying faces. It is just her nature so putting faces in wood was totally natural.  In the meantime Sandra also worked with glass and then three years ago, she discovered gourds. The thing that first struck her about gourds was the range of art that could be produced. It was staggering and the ideas were endless. She realized that anyone could create something of interest regardless of their artistic ability. Initially intimidated by the fantastic painting and woodburning examples that she had seen, Sandra knew she wasn't quite ready to attempt anything too complicated. She admits that once she got started it didn't take long before gourds became an obsession, and since that time, has bought books, surfed the Net and looks for other like-minded individuals to share ideas, techniques and tips with. She loves introducing found objects such as fibres, beads and glass bits to her art and finds her carving tools are kept busy when there is a gourd in front of her.  Sandra's history with carving makes this gourd unique. The biggest influences in Sandra's art are the plants and textures that surround her. She is the type of woman that can't just look, she has to touch too! Sandra and her sister Joan joke that there is a lot of raven in them - that's why the brilliant colours of glass are so appealing.
Now that Sandra has discovered ground pigments she is really excited. Unlike paint the sky is the limit. She also loves to use repellent ink dyes. The effects created when one drop of dye pushes against another is beautiful and unpredictable.
New techniques are learned mostly by trial and error. Sandra sees every mistake as an opportunity. For example she recalls a project that could have been a disaster but it turned out to be beautiful. "The yearning celtic spoon was suppose to be a gourd carved so that the upper part was the handle. I took out the wrong section and it turned out I loved the effect. I do have a slight problem with that positive/negative image thing!"  When asked if Sandra sells her work or does commissions she states that she has sold her glasswork but her carvings have been given as gifts or as donations to various fundraisers. Sandra and her sister Joan are trying to collect enough finished gourds to show at a local Winnipeg art gallery where they expect to sell lots. She adds with a laugh "Bet you wish you were on my Christmas list." I have to reply quite honestly "Yes I do!" Sandra has three kids ages 21, 16 and 12. Both her husband and kids have all become use to her (at times) obsessive interest in various projects. When the weather got milder this month she was back in the unheated garage happily grinding the interior of a gourd. She overheard her youngest tell her husband "Looks like you've lost the garage again Dad." The dog Shilo loves to keep her company in both her workshop and in the garage while Marbles the cat couldn't really care less.  When thinking about the future Sandra gazes up at the picture above her desk at work. In it is a piece of land that is for sale. Half of it is tilled, there is a huge Quonset hut and room for a dream house. The gourd patch is already drawn in. Smiling she says "I can 'retire' from my work as a psychiatric nurse in 7 years and plan to do contract work in northern communities where you go in for monthly contracts. This would fund my other work - my hobbies - that way. And this is where I would like to live while doing that." Sandra teaches informally and has given classes to groups. Her youngest son and his buddies have made a few projects in the garage and it is very rewarding when they go home with something they have made for their moms. For those kids and moms it is those moments that memories are made from. And for Sandra, she gets her reward by passing on that gourd glow to others. Thank you ever so much Sandra for contributing to this newsletter. We love your work whether it be carvings or glass or gourds. Good luck with your gallery show with Joan. We are certain that it will be very successful. Carolyn and Linda NEW PRODUCTS
Just as spring brings on new growth in nature, growth is happening at Northern Dipper with lots of new gourds, books and gourd finishing supplies.
 Gourds of every type and description. A new supply of thick-walled gourds are in at Northern Dipper. Make an appointment and come out to the farm to shop. (See our monthly special on gourds)
If you are too far away, one click of your mouse and leave it to us. We'll choose them, pack them and ship them to you. For more information on dried gourds click here. http://www.northerndipper.com/gourds.php  A writhing pile of curly handled dippers.  A fresh new supply.  Gourd Luster Pigments Notes From The Gourd Patch
 May is a busy month for those of you growing gourds. There are the seedlings to tend to and decisions as to where to plant and when and how to prep the soil. This is the time to decide whether you will grow on the ground or trellis. A chain link fence will support gourds as well as simple, strong wooden structures. First off lets deal with the seedlings. 1. ) Keep your seedlings moist but not wet. On cloudy days they may not need water at all. Give them a light fertilizer high in nitrogen every 4 times you water. This will ensure strong root development and lots of greenery. 2.) In Canada, the May 24th weekend is when people plant out. If the weather is cold postpone this date. A couple of weeks before planting out put your seedlings outside on sunny days in a sheltered spot and bring them in at night. This is called "hardening-off"...it will strengthen your seedings and ready them for planting. Garden Preparation 1.) Chose a nice sunny spot with a southern exposure. Your gourds are going to need as much sun as they can get in order to reach maturity. 2.) Add compost and a bit of potash to your soil and work it in. If you burn wood you can use wood ash. 3.) If weeds are a problem open up black garbage bags and spread them out over the soil. Secure the edges with soil or rocks. 4.) When planting the seedlings rip a small hole in the bag and proceed to plant.  Planting the Seedlings Outside 1.) Water your seedlings well before planting. This will help them settle in. 2.) If you used peat pots you can plant the entire pot. They are very porous and the roots will just grow right through the sides and bottom of the pots. 3.) Your seedlings will droop and you will worry. They are in shock. Water and wait a day or two and they will spring back into their previous glory. Good luck growers, our season is beginning! The Lone Gourd
"Where Are Those Boys?"
A third of a series of letters by Sherry Davidson. These letters were written in 2008.
Boo Hoo! This afternoon two of the female flowers were just about to open. Stupid question # 2...where are the male flowers?
I had to return to Toronto for work and hopefully I will have some flying helpers to do some pollinating this week. They will probobly have a better chance at searching out those boys than me.
Last weekend the little stalks with the ball on top were under the leaves and only about 4" tall. This week they are well over a foot tall. Still can't find the dumb old boys - what do they look like?
I was thinking that we were getting on in the season to just be producing my first flowers. But I am not discouraged and definitely enjoy jumping out of my car every Friday and running up the hill to see "waz up". So if I don't get any gourds I can start next year with a bit more knowledge and a lot more confidence. Next year I will try your method of germinating seeds.
Thanks for your support and guidance. I really appreciate it. This is fun.
Thanks again,
Sherry Davidson
Reader's Corner
Hello We enjoyed your display at Blooms and bought some seeds. We hope to attend a workshop in the near future. Other people we talked to thought you had a great product too. Good luck in the future and please register my email for your newsletter. Sincerly,
Janet K.
You are registered. Let us know how your seedlings are doing. We look forward to seeing you again in a workshop.
Carolyn
 Hi there,
Here are photos of my dragon. I sent a close-up of the egg.
Wendy Rinehart
Hi Wendy,
There is so much detail in this piece...we just love it. Thank you for sending the photos. We can't wait to see your other work.
Carolyn and Linda
To Our Readers: Wendy Rinehart will be our featured artist in the July issue of Gourd Fever.
 NEXT ISSUE: We are happy to feature Ontario artist Barbara Bellchambers. Barbara's gourd art possesses a beauty and simplicity which leaves an image that stays in a person's mind long after they have seen it. Naturally artistic, Barbara is involved in other types of art including the art of candy making. Lolipops that look like stained glass, chocolate and marzipan are just a few of her specialities.
Gourds and chocolate - now that is one sweet combination!
By next month your gourd seedlings will be in the ground and in June they grow at an extremely rapid rate. By the end of June there will be flowers so topics discussed in Notes From The Gourd Patch will be identifying male and female flowers, fertilization and the bugs that bug both us and our gourds!
More new products will be introduced along with a tutorial demonstrating how to use the newly introduced inks. Until that time perhaps we'll see you at the farm, if not, until next month....
Carolyn Cooper and Linda Bond
PS We welcome your stories, comments and photos. Please send to info@northerndipper.com
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