Vendors and other stuff
The Primitive Originals Booth just gets bigger every year. I look forward to visiting their booth for everything sparkly, the beads and feathers and embellishments are wonderful! Also, Bob James one of my favorite ever people, is always there! I just love how he runs that business, and he always manages to show me something I cannot live without. This year, it was beadwax, which his niece (Karen Kirkland's daughter) was busily setting into a gourd bowl with beads. He sold me with the neat little tool his wife (Kathy James, award-winning artist and woodburner extraordinaire) came up with, which picks them up so neatly for you, and sets the beads at the correct depth. I have yet to try it, but I am sure it will work just as he demonstrated...I have never been disappointed with ANYTHING I have purchased from Primitive Originals, whether it be in person or by mail! They have dyes, Gilder's paste (metallic!), and all sorts of doodads that they have discovered for gourding, as well as their own line of instructional booklets, a ton of embellishments stuff, binders, top of the line woodburners...you name it. They also sell egg gourds to cover with your beads, or burn.
Then there is Turtlefeathers. Another don't miss place...another really great guy running the show! David Wuttke, ever dapper in his hat and beard, always on the lookout for some new and wonderful thing to offer for THE BEST gourds. This year he is big into Inlace, which is an inlay material that I am told is very easy to use, and looks great. I know Lynn Hoyt came home with a bunch of it, so we will be watching her gourds for the results. 
He also is stocking wonderful new semi-precious cabachons, really beautiful greens and browns, and I don't know what else, with beautiful patterns! So if you have wanted to do any inlay, this is the place to find new stuff. David also deals in a rival brand of woodburner, which he represents as "Less expensive, not cheaper", as well as chip carving tools and all sorts of other stuff like dyes and saws. David's wife, Ronna, is the one who wins all the awards for her dramatic, intricate and terribly memorable pieces, like that at left, which took a blue ribbon in the Special Talents Division this year. 
The booth is filled with Ronna's amazing work, it is worth it to stop and just look awhile! Turtlefeathers does business online as well, and it is worth it to go to a reputable dealer, such as David and Ronna, especially when purchasing something that is expensive, or you want to last awhile...because you can trust them to give you the straight scoop. They also sell stuff like leather dyes and incredibly vibrant dyed pine needles...all sorts of goodies. David is working at this business full-time now, and can really answer all your questions.
Of course at any Gourd Festival, you hope to bring home a few raw gourds to craft, and we found plenty this year, if not as many as last year.
One of our favorite places is the Kids' Booth, where children can paint or create something out of a gourd. This little guy really enjoyed painting a necklace from a gourd piece...Thanks to all the volunteers who put on a great festival, and worked behind the scenes all year long! It was fabulous!
Want to see MORE 2003 NC Gourd Show pics? Check these out:
Tammy Brown
Don't miss the 2002 Gourd Show photos