One of the things I love about gourd art is that you just never run out of new techniques to try! The possiblities are endless! The above picture is my finished product using “Inlace,” a resin-based epoxy product that looks like inlaid stone when finished. Inlace may be ordered from Turtlefeathers.net, a gourd supply online store, and comes with a full set of instructions. The basics of the procedure are as follows:
1. Clean and fully prepare your gourd for decoration. Draw on the design, and wood burn it if you like.
2. Carve out the area you want fo fill with Inlace. No need to go real deep, but make sure the edges are “clean.”
3. Mix the Inlace (with a hardener, which comes in the kit). After mixing, you have about 15 minutes to work with it before it starts to harden. There are also stone chips, glitter, mica dust, etc. available that can be added to it, and it comes in a myriad of colors.
4. Fill the area you have carved out – OVER fill it by a bit, and make sure there are no air pockets.
5. Let it dry 24 hours.
6. Sand the Inlace down, using a small rotary sander, so that it is level with the surface of the gourd. Make sure not to gouge your gourd. You may want to sand the last parts and edges by hand. I used a 40 grit, which was very aggressive. I would suggest maybe an 80 grit instead.
7. Buff the Inlace with the buffing compound. (this comes in the kit)
8. Polish the Inlace with the polishing compound.(this comes in the kit)

Items # 7 & 8 were done with a dremel tool with a soft buffing pad attachment.

9. Complete the rest of the design on your gourd!