The Bloomin’Gourd The Quarterly Magazine of the Georgia Gourd Society October 1, 2016
GourdFest 2016 Gourd Art and Craft Show
Best of Show and People’s Choice Grand Master:
Hellen Child
Best of Grand Master:
Karin Anderson
Best of Masters Sherry Briscoe
Best of Novice Karen Maloney
People’s Choice Master Ella Curtis
Peoples Choice Novice Karen Maloney
Best New Artist
John Gallegher
The Quarterly Magazine of the Georgia Gourd Society October 1, 2016
Most Humorous Grand Master Karin Anderson
Most Humorous Master
Diane Ricker
Most Humorous Novice
Karen Maloney
Group Project Winner!
Hot’lanta Patch
The Quarterly Magazine of the Georgia Gourd Society October 1, 2016
Holiday Art
President’s Message October 2016
WOW what a wonderful Gourdfest. We had 122 competition entries, and we had over 500 visitors come through to see all the competition and purchase great gourds and other products. Thank you to all that helped with the competition, the market place, the front desk, registering new members, the vendor’s dinner and hospitality room. A Great Big Thank YOU to all that helped set up the competition tables, class tables and chairs, and another great big THANK YOU for all that helped with the cleanup including taking all the garbage out. It is so great to see that we as a gourd society can and do work together. Sometimes just before the Gourdfest gets started, I often wonder if and how it is all going to come together, but it does and when it is over I know that it was all worth the worrying and trouble. I have heard several comments from the public that the Gourdfest was a top rated event and next year the Georgia Public Broadcasting Station is going to be invited to attend along with Fox 5 morning news. After 5 years we are finally getting the acknowl-edgement that Gourds are Great and this is a top rated event. So start now creating new competition gourds for next year. Mark your calendars for September 23 and 24, 2017. Enjoy the wonderful cool weather we are having. Once again Troy and I Thank You for all the helping hands and the Great Spirit that prevailed throughout the show.
Ellen Tatum President Georgia Gourd Society
The Quarterly Magazine of the Georgia Gourd Society October 1, 2016
GourdFest Art & Scenes
The Quarterly Magazine of the Georgia Gourd Society October 1, 2016
Judging We held an awesome friendly competition with 122 entries
evaluated by 11 AGS certified judges and 3 clerks. Mem-
bers of the same team received the entries on Friday after-
noon until 5:00 PM, judged until 9:00 PM, and distributed
the entries on Sunday at 4:00 PM.
Our certified AGS judges were Sandy Jordan (FLA), Shari
Zabroski (FLA), Terry Humphries (SC), Linda Kincaid
(SC), (AGS judges from GA) Beth Westberry, Tina
Handrop, Karen Malo-
ney, Lawrence Wood,
Diane Ricker; Clerks:
Karin Anderson, Jane
Ballou, and Janet Eakin.
My deepest thanks
to this wonderful
team!
Reggie Eakin, Competi-
tion Chair, and Head
Judge.
Grower Raw Gourds
Youth
The Quarterly Magazine of the Georgia Gourd Society October 1, 2016
Novice 1st 2nd 3rd
N09 John Gallegher Shari Barron
N10 Shari Barron
N11 Karen Maloney
N17 Karen Maloney
N18 Shari Barron
N21 Shari Barron
N25 Jonh Gallegher
N29 Shari Barron
N30 Karen Maloney
N32 Shari Barron
N33 Shari Barron
N35 Karen Maloney
N38 John Gallegher Holly Gallagher Shari Barron
N41 John Gallagher
Youth
Youth Eli Harvey
Youth Leo Wood
Youth Cassidy Robbins
Master 1st 2nd 3rd
M9 Ella Curtis Sherry Briscoe
M10 Sherry Briscoe Ella Curtis
M11 Lesly Orr Ella Curtis Ellen Tatum
M14 Sherry Briscoe
M15 Ella Curtis Ellen Tatum
M17 Sherry Briscoe
M18 Beth Wesberry Cindy Weeks Ellen Tatum
M19 Tina Handrop
M20 Sherry Briscoe
M21 Beth Wesberry Ella Curtis Diane Ricker
M25 Beth Wesberry
M26 Diane Ricker Jim Lewis Anne Touchton
M28 Diane Ricker
M29 Sherry Briscoe Beth Westberry Sherry Briscoe
M30 Beth Wesberry Diane Ricker Lesley Orr
M31 Beth Wesberry
M32 Lesley Orr Sherry Briscoe Tina Handrop
M35 Sherry Briscoe Ella Curtis
M37 Beth Wesberry
M38 Lesley Orr Jim Lewis Sherry Briscoe
M39 Jim Lewis Tina Handrop
M41 Tina Handrop Lawrence Wood Ella Curtis
Category 1st 2nd 3rd
Grand Master
GM10 Dennis McDonald Holly Parker Reggie Eakin
GM11 Helen Child Reggie Eakin
GM14 Holly Parker
GM18 Holly Parker Reggie Eakin
GM19 Helen Child Dennis McDonald
GM21 Dennis McDonald Reggie Eakin
GM24 Karen Anderson
GM27 Karen Anderson Holly Parker
GM28 Helen Child
GM29 Karen Anderson
GM32 Dennis McDonald Holly Parker
GM38 Holly Parker Reggie Eakin
GM41 Helen Child Dennis McDonald
Group
GP60 Hotlanta
Grower
1 Elaine Hayes
2 Elaine Hayes
3 Elaine Hayes
4 Elaine Hayes
5 Elaine Hayes
The Quarterly Magazine of the Georgia Gourd Society October 1, 2016
Great Classes! To all who attended our Annual GourdFest in Griffin, GA I certainly hope you had as much fun as I did!!! It was merely a few months ago, March to be exact, when I sent emails out to many potential teachers/instructors, here we are at October 1, all the fun has come & gone until we meet again in 2017! We had 10 very talented artists, who came to Georgia and taught 20 classes with approximately 69 students at-tending. I want to personally say “Thank you to every Teacher/Instructor who came and shared with all our stu-dents your wonderful talents. I have heard from so many students who thoroughly enjoyed their classes, and are truly hoping to see all these teachers again next year! While our attendance may have been slightly down, the talents, the sharing and the fellowship were all definitely over the top!!! And last but definitely not least, I want every student who took a class to know how VERY much we appreciate you!!! I thank you so much for supporting our GourdFest and teachers. Without each of you, we wouldn’t get such talented teachers to come share their talents. Please take these next few months to share with your friends & relatives how much fun you had, and encourage them to join you in 2017!! Happy Gourdin’ Y’all, Tina Handrop, Class/Workshop Co-Ordinator, GGS Director
Patch Meetings
Flint River Gourders The patch participated in the "Art in the Garden" event held yearly at the UGA Research & Education Garden in Griffin. Turn out was great and the patch made a number of new contacts and promoted the Gourdfest the following week. Members will be speaking to the Dogwood Gar-den Club the second week of October to show them the art that is possible using gourds, discuss the history, and provide gardening tips. November marks the 3rd anniversary of the patches' first meeting. Looking forward to many more years spreading the word! Dennis McDonald Reporting
Hot’lanta Hot’Lanta was proud to have Judy Wilson come in June from Palmetto to instruct us on the art of tiny basket weaving. Since all members had previous-ly done coiling, we all wanted to learn the “ins and outs” (pun intended) of weaving. Judy brought 100’s of basket samples and each was a beauty! Her baskets are incredible as was her patience in teaching every one of us a
different pattern. While no one finished in class all were given printed instructions for their particular bas-ket to finish up at home. Judy provides kits with all necessary cords, beads and instructions to complete
her baskets. I think we all learned so much and now appreciate the time involved in basket weaving. We were truly looking through angled mirrors and glasses in July when Ellen Tatum came to teach us her newest class of Kaleidoscopes. Happily Troy had al-ready cut the precise hole through the middle of an egg gourd before class. Ellen provided us with a selection of stencils and inks and paints to decorate the outside shell, then came the fun part of construction. As the colored stones were inserted you could hear…”Anyone got some extra blue ones? I want the extra green ones”. The mirrors reflected the stone colors beautifully and everyone went home with a completed project! Ellen and Troy are a great team and every kaleidoscope was a work of art. Contact Ellen if you want to purchase kits to make one of your own. As the unrelenting August heat was upon us the Hot’Lanta group could be found in their cool classroom at the Pinckneyville Community Center. Our project this month was taught by one of our own, Helen. We came to class with prepared gourds cut and drilled from the tips of banana gourds or gourds with a small flute at the end. Helen provided the wrapped coiled paper and each brought their own silk cord. There were a lot of beads to be shared and the coiling began! The first row was challenging to attach but after that it was smooth sailing. Helen gave us a great demo of 4 thread braiding and those who were diligent went home with a finished necklace complete with beads and braided cord. It was a fun and relaxing class. We are blessed with much talent in our Patch. Please join us! We meet the 2nd Saturday every month from 10-2. Bring a covered dish to share and meet us at
the Pinckneyville Community Cen-ter on Peachtree Industrial. No pri-or experience needed! Hope to see every-one in September in Griffin with all the fantastic com-petition pieces! Assembling the Totem for the Group Entry Diane Ricker Reporting
The Quarterly Magazine of the Georgia Gourd Society October 1, 2016
July 1st –
Reggie
Eakin
Tiger
Lily, col-
ored pen-
cils
August 5th –
Ellen Tatum –
Etched flower
September 2nd – Betsey Sloan – Three red
feathers
The Quarterly Magazine of the Georgia Gourd Society October 1, 2016
The Quarterly Magazine of the Georgia Gourd Society October 1, 2016
GGS Business Meeting
Held September 24
Sept. 25th after the GourdFest dinner the GGS annual
general member meeting was called to order by Ellen
Tatum. The last meeting minutes were published in
The Blooming Gourd and were moved to be accepted
by Tina Handrop, 2nd by Sandra Hutchens and accept-
ed unanimously.
The GGS Treasurer's report w as presented by
Kathy Bird, motion to accept by. Troy Tatum, 2nd by
Sandra Hutchens, and passed by unanimous vote. The
Flint River Patch was thanked for their recent $150
donation to GGS.
(December 31, 2015— Balance $12,710.00
September 30, 2016—Balance $16,355.24 prior to
paying all festival expenses)
Officer Election held on Sept. 25th at the general mem-
ber meeting notice was posted on August 17th 2016 by
e-mail.
Officer nominations:
Vice-President: Jane Ballou,
Membership Chair: Janet Eakin
Bloomin’Gourd Editor- Open but
filled by Reggie Eakin temporarily
Directors- Beth W estberry,
Dennis McDonald, and Sandra Hutchins.
Karin Anderson moved that the nominations be ac-
cepted, 2nd by Anne Touchton. The motion passed by
unanimous vote.
Troy Tatum was nominated as the 2017 GGS Gourd-
Fest Chairman. Reggie Eakin moved that the nomina-
tion be accepted, and 2nd by Karin Anderson... passed
unanimously.
General business included a motion by Reggie Eakin,
2nd by Troy Tatum and unanimously accepted vote
to hold the 2017 GGS Gourdshow in the Kiwanis
building on Sept. 23rd- 24th, and to "roll- over" the
$500 clean-up fee deposit to 2017.
Tina Handrop announced a new Loganville patch,
named "Joyful Gourd Souls" in memory of Judy Shu-
mate.
Ellen announced a plan to bring in a visiting artist for
the next GGS GED and a motion to adopt the plan was
made by Tina Handrop, 2nd by Jane Ballou, and
passed by unanimous vote. The meeting was adjourned
at 9:05. (Corrections or additions should be given to Karin An-
derson.)
The Quarterly Magazine of the Georgia Gourd Society October 1, 2016
Editor’s Article
We had great visit in Griffin and look forward to participating there again next year. I’m go-ing to fill this page up with a lot of photos. It will still not do the event justice—YOU really need to be there. I am giving up writing this magazine because of my health. The cancer that I’ve been fighting for the last 6 years came back last year and is resisting treatments. I’m trying to re-duce my number of responsibilities in the Georgia and American Gourd Societies. We need a new editor for the Bloomin’ Gourd to replace me. Think about it. I use Microsoft Publisher ( as did my predecessor) to write this magazine. It is no more difficult to use than Word or PowerPoint. I’d like to help someone take over this job while I can help.