A Very Happy and Joyous New Year to You and Yours from the Orange County Gourd Society                   01/05/09

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Welcome to The OC Gourd Experience

Our Mission Statement

Our Mission as a Patch of the CA Gourd Society is to promote the horticulture, crafting, and appreciation of hard shelled gourds (Lagenaria) by providing charitable and educational activities to members of the society, growers, artists, crafters, business people and the public through community support and education.

Our friendly "OC Gourd patch" members include an eclectic group of talented artists, crafters and gardeners from beginner through experts.

OCGS is the Orange County area regional group of the California Gourd Society.

 California Gourd Society's

Call To Artists!

•  May C.G.S. Northern Section Gourd Show - The 7th Annual Leiser Gourd Festival -  Greg Leiser Gourd Farm, Knights Landing , CA

• June California Gourd Society Gourd Art Competition Rules and Categories - The 13th Annual Gourd Art Festival - Welburn Gourd Farm, Fallbrook, CA -

OCGS is active and growing we look forward to another great year in  2009.

Did you notice the new competition for CGS Gourd artists? Our fellow gourd artists to the north have longed for a more local CGS Competition. CGS will need all of our support for this new competition as well as their ongoing events throughout the year.

New Classes for 2009

April 25th - "Fun with Gourds" - Fullerton Arboretum - Contact the Fullerton Arboretum directly for registration. Past class pictures. Pictures by Susan Sullivan

We continue to meet the 4^th Thursday of each month (except November & December) in Costa Mesa (Harbor Blvd. & Baker). Raw gourds are available for purchase at all our meetings stop by a take a look. Contact Norrah Andersen for meeting address and class details. Phone 714-641-8124 or email: Createit@att.net Note: In appreciation for our meeting location, we "pass the gourd" for a $3 per person or $5 per household donation at our evening meetings and we suggest a $5 donation on play days. Special thanks to Wayne Marson for making the wheelchair and power chair ramps for our meeting place. We can now easily accommodate both wheelchairs or power chairs!

January

16th - 18th CGS Board Meeting in Watsonville, CA

17th – OCGS Play Day - Our first play day of the New Year come join us!

22^nd - General Meeting - Our first meeting of the New Year come join us! Please bring a calendar with you. If  you would like you can pencil in some of these 2009 dates.

February

            6^th – 8th - Wuertz Gourd Festival – Casa Grande, AZ - http://www.wuertzfarm.com/

            14th & 15th - Annual CGS Regional Rep meeting - Location Valley Center at the Clark Gourd Farm

            26^th – General Meeting  – Gourd Seed Exchange

Check back after our first meeting of the New Year we may have More new announcements and updates.

The OCGS Traveling Gourd

The winning ticket was drawn at our Holiday Party on December 13, 2008. The LUCKY WINNER was Eleanor DeMatteo of Huntington Beach, Eleanor purchased the ticket from us at the Orange County Fair. Bill Duncan presented Eleanor the OCGS Traveling Gourd see picture below plus more pictures from the party  

Pictures by Susan Sullivan and more pictures.   

If you are on dial up you may want to view pictures from here Traveling Gourd or here

The OCGS Traveling Raffle gourd began with our gourd being picked out at the Welburn Fall 1/2 price sale in August 2006. Member's Russ Conley and Carole Duncan picked out the gourd. Carole designed and did all the wood burned panels for the participants. The individuals panels were picked and assigned by Carole and Russ with one assigning numbers to each panel and the other giving names to go with the panel. After a vote by our members it was decided to open the gourd up to give more possible design opportunities. Bill Duncan did the honors of cutting her open and cleaning her up and Booker Preston did some of his carving magic on the top and added small magnets to hold the lid securely to the gourd. Great work!! The seventeen artists including those listed above are: Norrah Anderson, Gaye Berger, Mary Bliss, JaVae Ferrier, Shana Frankenfield, Sylvia Marson, Neysa Renfrew, Alice Reule, Jack Thorp, Roula Vitakis, Curtis Hayes, Cliff and Jan Schmidt. 04/03/08

Join CGS then join OCGS

Our Meeting link at the OC Register Online Edition

Civic and Garden Clubs... are you seeking an interesting program idea?

Susan Sullivan and Booker Preston October 09, 2008, at the Del Norte Garden Club at the Methodist Church in Placentia

Join the Original Galax-Sea Gourds Cruise with Betsy Roberts to the Mexican Riviera aboard the Brand NEW Carnival SPLENDOR! Sunday, April 05, 2009 http://www.traveldivaproductions.com/destinations/gourdcruise.html Click to Download Details in this pdf   Attention "Call for Teachers" OCGS and all CGS Teachers start getting your class portfolios together the 2009 and 2010 season has begun! Download PDF of Teachers Application for  Gourd Classes at Leiser's Gourd Festival May 2009. Please direct any questions you may have directly to Betsy Roberts at: gourdprincessb@yahoo.com Download PDF of Teachers Application to teach at the April 17 & 18, 2010 - Baskets and Gourds: Containers of Our Culture held in Visalia. Baskets and Gourds-Containers of Our Culture The conference is hosted by the Tulare/Sequoia Gourd Patch, and endorsed by the California Gourd Society. Classes, an exhibit, vendors and teacher's marketplace will all be a part of the event. Keynote speakers who will share their art during the dinner include noted author and artist, Ginger Summit, and renowned Washoe basket maker, Sue Coleman.	OCGS Birdhouse Project OCGS provides wonderful homes for our feathered friends! Thanks go to Bill Duncan for getting this project off the ground so quickly he has provided all the gourds ready for our members to decorate. Check back as more will be completed in the coming days. These and others are available for purchase check our calendar to see where you can get yours or you can arrange for pick up in Costa Mesa at any of our meetings or play days!       May 24, 2008 OC Gardener's Market - Pictures by Susan Sullivan
Photo Album - These are off site and links may have changed.	Communities & Forums
June 21st and 22nd, 2008 at the Welburn Gourd Farm - Pictures by Charlie McInturff - Festival 2008, Pictures by Darlene Propp - Classes, Novice and Children/Youth Division, Open and Masters Division and Pictures by Susan Sullivan - CGS 2008 Competition, more Competition, Some pictures from the Welburn Festival, Vendor booths, Classes, More classes and Fallbrook Art Gallery, more of the Fallbrook gallery and more Fallbrook Art Gallery - 2008 Pictures by Darlene Propp May 2008 - Leiser’s Gourd Festival - Pictures by Susan Sullivan - Betty Finch & Friends, more and more fun Click on each year for look back it's well worth the visit as we have a lot of picture links for your enjoyment. Years 2006, 2007, 2008, 2009.  Our Favorite Links Page features all of our on-line favorites Visit California Gourd Society Store at Cafe Press Visit California Gourd Society Website Visit American Gourd Society Website Visit Welburn Gourd Farm Gourd RainStick CD Tutorial By Russ Conley "Wonder Table" - Dust Collection System by Jack Thorp & Bill Duncan Top Gourd Sites - Vote now! Check out.. ..these Gourd Art sites!	OC Gourd Society Patch message board is for our patch members only. California Gourd Society message board is for all CGS members. For Gourdness Sake is a very fun and active an on-line gourd group their membership is open to the public. The GourdPatch -"The Original GourdPatch" to encourage, enhance and perpetuate the use of gourds as a medium in the arts; an open forum for artists and craftspersons to share ideas, tips and methods. Membership is open to the public. Featured Books Click to view or purchase other highly recommended books! All are must have books. Help support OCGS Out Reach Program by purchasing all your gourds books and other items you may need with our partners at Amazon.