If you missed the email explaining the FREE Gift Offer, see below.

Fun Job Openings Available at the Upcoming June Gourd Art Festival!

If you love working with gourds, you may be eligible for one of the 7 job openings available at the upcoming Gourd Art Festival at the Welburn Gourd Farm, June 27th & 28th, 2009! Come join the fun!

Hourly pay is $8.50 – $12/hr. Must be available for at least 4 hours during the two days of the festival. To inquire about the available positions, please email gourds@welburngourdfarm.com.

FREE Gift Offer:

Have Fun Woodburning On Gourds With the

NEW Woodburner Branding Tips!

Plus, Get a FREE Gift Valued at $32.88 When You Buy!

Woodburning on gourds just got better! Now you can woodburn all kinds of images on your gourds the fun and easy way using the NEW branding tips!

The idea is simple. Instead of creating designs freehand, simply “stamp” your designs onto your gourd using the new “branding iron” burning tips.

From apples and pears to ladybugs, flowers, and leaves, you’ll love the design options available and the gourd projects you can create!

Now for a limited time, order the NEW Woodburner Branding Kit plus your choice of 3 packs of additional Woodburning Brands and get the Box of small Bottle Gourds, pre-cleaned and craft-ready, FREE! A $32.88 value!

To create your images, all you need to do is press your branding iron onto your gourd for a few seconds, remove it, and you’ve got a perfect design every time! You can create the exact same design on your gourd as many times as you’d like, and each one will be exactly the same!

Use the geometric branding tips to create patterns and designs with texture, like the circle patterns shown on the gourd pictured right by Jan Seeger.

Or use the shapes and images brands to create theme-based designs such as the mini-gourd ornament decorated with heart images shown left or the “Turtles in Water” scene shown below.

Creating gourd art has never been more fun, and now is the time to jump in and get the NEW woodburner with brands because you’ll receive a FREE gift with your order!

Each branding tip is constructed of high-grade metal guaranteed to hold up under use with the 30 watt Lenk Super Pro Woodburner.

Please note: Brands can only be used with the Lenk woodburner, they will not fit the Hot Tool woodburner or other woodburners; also, the 30 Watt burner is best because lesser watt woodburners will not get hot enough to heat the brands.

Plus, all Lenk products come with a 5 year guarantee backed by the manufacturer.

The 30 watt Super Pro Woodburner can be purchased separately or as part of the Decorative Branding Kit, which includes 7 brands (square, diamond, triangle, circle, heart, slash, and star) and 2 woodburning tips: the “Dot” woodburning tip, used for making fine lines or burning holes, and the “All Purpose” wedge tip.

Kit is just $38.77! Or purchase the Kit plus 3 packs of branding tips (shown below) and get a FREE box of bottle gourds, a $32.88 value!*

Additional branding tips are available in the following packages:

Fruit and Vine Pack: $19.00

Flower and Leaf Pack: $12.33

Critters Pack: $19.00

Vine and Leaf Pack: $17.22

With images this fun to woodburn, you’ll want to create all kinds of designs on your gourds!

This gourd bowl by Laura Cunningham features four different scenes on each side of the gourd, burned on the gourd using the “Critters” branding tips and colored using GourdMaster™ Ink Dyes.

The “Critters” set includes both the front view and the side view of the butterfly, as well as a gecko image (not shown on gourd).

Butterflies

Turtles

Dragonflies

Ladybugs

This simple yet elegant flower design shown on the gourd bird feeder below was created using the Flower and Leaf brands and the all purpose wedge tip to make the vines connecting the flowers.

Close up view of woodburning

Special Offer:

Now for a limited time, you’ll receive a FREE box of Bottle Gourds*, a $32.88 value, when you purchase the Decorative Branding Kit plus your choice of 3 packages of extra brands. These items would normally cost a minimum of $120.20 but you get them for as little as $87.32 while supplies last! Click here!

*Free gift is available only while supplies last. May not be combined with any other offers or discounts.

New Gourd Art Competition!

The 13th Annual Gourd Art Festival at the Welburn Gourd Farm will include a brand new Gourd Art Competition with cash prizes, sponsored by GourdMaster™ Products and judged by the general public who attend the event!

Enter your artwork in the “GourdMaster™ People’s Choice Competition” and be seen by thousands of potential buyers. You can even advertise your entry piece(s) for sale and get them sold through the event! (photo at left: gourd art by Sue Brogden)

This is an incredible opportunity for artists to gain exposure, sell their artwork, and have fun helping to get the general public involved in the world of gourds by voting on their favorite works of art!

Get the complete details of the NEW GourdMaster™ People’s Choice Competition – click here!

(pictured right, award-winning gourd art in the 2008 California Gourd Society Gourd Art Competition)

Also, be sure to enter artwork in the 2009 California Gourd Society Gourd Art Competition, a long-standing tradition at the Festival and a superbly-run event, put on by the California chapter of the American Gourd Society! For details and link for the California Gourd Society Gourd Art Competition, click here!

Get Your Gourd Festival Tickets In Advance and Save!

Festival tickets are $11 at the gate, but you can get them for just $8 when you buy them in advance!

PLUS you’ll receive a FREE parking pass (general parking) when you purchase 3 or more tickets in advance, while supplies last!

Only a limited number of FREE passes are available, so get your tickets now before the parking passes are gone – click here!

Have a Blast at the June Gourd Festival Classes!

If you are ready to laugh, make new friends, and learn a fun new craft, then sign up for a Gourd Art Class the Thursday and Friday before the Gourd Art Festival, June 25th and 26th, 2009!

Pictured right, “Crushed Glass Inlay” class with Dianne Connelly. Dianne is a popular favorite and is known for giving her students TONS of great information, not to mention comedy relief! Come prepared to have lots of fun!

To see the list of classes and to register, click here!

*Please note, discount codes and special offers are not valid with gourd classes.

Still A Few Exhibitor Spaces Left!

There is still time to join in the fun by becoming an exhibitor at the 13th Annual Gourd Art Festival at the Welburn Gourd Farm!

The deadline for application submission is was May 20th, 2009, but there are still a few spaces left so applications are still being accepted! To download the exhibitor application now, click here.

Pictured left, gourd art by The Browning House, exhibiting artists at the upcoming Gourd Art Festival, June 27th and 28th, 2009!

Remember to request your packet of Gourd Art Festival brochures and help get the word out about the event! For the brochure request form, click here.

Gourdially Yours,

The Welburn Gourd Farm

40635 De Luz Rd.

Fallbrook, CA 92028

Phone: 1-877-420-2613

Plus, Get a FREE Gift Valued at $32.88 When You Buy!

Woodburning on gourds just got better! Now you can woodburn all kinds of images on your gourds the fun and easy way using the NEW branding tips!

The idea is simple. Instead of creating designs freehand, simply “stamp” your designs onto your gourd using the new “branding iron” burning tips.

From apples and pears to ladybugs, flowers, and leaves, you’ll love the design options available and the gourd projects you can create!

Now for a limited time, order the NEW Woodburner Branding Kit plus your choice of 3 packs of additional Woodburning Brands and get the Box of small Bottle Gourds, pre-cleaned and craft-ready, FREE! A $32.88 value!

To create your images, all you need to do is press your branding iron onto your gourd for a few seconds, remove it, and you’ve got a perfect design every time! You can create the exact same design on your gourd as many times as you’d like, and each one will be exactly the same!

Use the geometric branding tips to create patterns and designs with texture, like the circle patterns shown on the gourd pictured right by Jan Seeger.

Or use the shapes and images brands to create theme-based designs such as the mini-gourd ornament decorated with heart images shown left or the “Turtles in Water” scene shown below.

Creating gourd art has never been more fun, and now is the time to jump in and get the NEW woodburner with brands because you’ll receive a FREE gift with your order!

Each branding tip is constructed of high-grade metal guaranteed to hold up under use with the 30 watt Lenk Super Pro Woodburner.

Please note: Brands can only be used with the Lenk woodburner, they will not fit the Hot Tool woodburner or other woodburners; also, the 30 Watt burner is best because lesser watt woodburners will not get hot enough to heat the brands.

Plus, all Lenk products come with a 5 year guarantee backed by the manufacturer.

The 30 watt Super Pro Woodburner can be purchased separately or as part of the Decorative Branding Kit, which includes 7 brands (square, diamond, triangle, circle, heart, slash, and star) and 2 woodburning tips: the “Dot” woodburning tip, used for making fine lines or burning holes, and the “All Purpose” wedge tip.

Kit is just $38.77! Or purchase the Kit plus 3 packs of branding tips (shown below) and get a FREE box of bottle gourds, a $32.88 value!*

Additional branding tips are available in the following packages:

Fruit and Vine Pack: $19.00

Flower and Leaf Pack: $12.33

Critters Pack: $19.00

Vine and Leaf Pack: $17.22

With images this fun to woodburn, you’ll want to create all kinds of designs on your gourds!

This gourd bowl by Laura Cunningham features four different scenes on each side of the gourd, burned on the gourd using the “Critters” branding tips and colored using GourdMaster™ Ink Dyes.

The “Critters” set includes both the front view and the side view of the butterfly, as well as a gecko image (not shown on gourd).

Butterflies

Turtles

Dragonflies

Ladybugs

This simple yet elegant flower design shown on the gourd bird feeder below was created using the Flower and Leaf brands and the all purpose wedge tip to make the vines connecting the flowers.

Close up view of woodburning

Special Offer:

Now for a limited time, you’ll receive a FREE box of Bottle Gourds*, a $32.88 value, when you purchase the Decorative Branding Kit plus your choice of 3 packages of extra brands. These items would normally cost a minimum of $120.20 but you get them for as little as $87.32 while supplies last! Click here!

*Free gift is available only while supplies last. May not be combined with any other offers or discounts.

New Gourd Art Competition!

The 13th Annual Gourd Art Festival at the Welburn Gourd Farm will include a brand new Gourd Art Competition with cash prizes, sponsored by GourdMaster™ Products and judged by the general public who attend the event!

Enter your artwork in the “GourdMaster™ People’s Choice Competition” and be seen by thousands of potential buyers. You can even advertise your entry piece(s) for sale and get them sold through the event! (photo at left: gourd art by Sue Brogden)

This is an incredible opportunity for artists to gain exposure, sell their artwork, and have fun helping to get the general public involved in the world of gourds by voting on their favorite works of art!

Get the complete details of the NEW GourdMaster™ People’s Choice Competition – click here!

(pictured right, award-winning gourd art in the 2008 California Gourd Society Gourd Art Competition)

Also, be sure to enter artwork in the 2009 California Gourd Society Gourd Art Competition, a long-standing tradition at the Festival and a superbly-run event, put on by the California chapter of the American Gourd Society! For details and link for the California Gourd Society Gourd Art Competition, click here!

Get Your Gourd Festival Tickets In Advance and Save!

Festival tickets are $11 at the gate, but you can get them for just $8 when you buy them in advance!

PLUS you’ll receive a FREE parking pass (general parking) when you purchase 3 or more tickets in advance, while supplies last!

Only a limited number of FREE passes are available, so get your tickets now before the parking passes are gone – click here!

Have a Blast at the June Gourd Festival Classes!

If you are ready to laugh, make new friends, and learn a fun new craft, then sign up for a Gourd Art Class the Thursday and Friday before the Gourd Art Festival, June 25th and 26th, 2009!

Pictured right, “Crushed Glass Inlay” class with Dianne Connelly. Dianne is a popular favorite and is known for giving her students TONS of great information, not to mention comedy relief! Come prepared to have lots of fun!

To see the list of classes and to register, click here!

*Please note, discount codes and special offers are not valid with gourd classes.

Still A Few Exhibitor Spaces Left!

There is still time to join in the fun by becoming an exhibitor at the 13th Annual Gourd Art Festival at the Welburn Gourd Farm!

The deadline for application submission is was May 20th, 2009, but there are still a few spaces left so applications are still being accepted! To download the exhibitor application now, click here.

Pictured left, gourd art by The Browning House, exhibiting artists at the upcoming Gourd Art Festival, June 27th and 28th, 2009!

Remember to request your packet of Gourd Art Festival brochures and help get the word out about the event! For the brochure request form, click here.

Gourdially Yours,
The Welburn Gourd Farm
40635 De Luz Rd.
Fallbrook, CA 92028
Phone: 1-877-420-2613

Just how good a deal is this? Here’s what one customer had to say…

“Wow! Add me to your list of happy satisfied, not to mention impressed, buyers of your box of assorted pre-cleaned gourds. I had first-time buyer reservations about ordering a box. I was afraid that the old adage ’if it seems too good to be true’, etc., would be true.

However, I needed gourds and took a chance.  Brother, am I glad I did!  The quality, size and number of gourds I got exceeded the modest description on your web site. 

It rare to find an on-line vendor one can trust to deliver even more than what they advertise. I plan on being a committed return customer for all my gourdly needs.

With my deepest thanks,” -Wendell C.,
Tahlequah, Oklahoma  

Thank you, Wendell for sending in your comments!

Act Now to Receive Your FREE Gift!

The $62.58 FREE gifts are almost gone! Order now to get your 21 beautiful, “baby” gourds (under 2 inches in diameter), cleaned and craft ready, perfect for making ornaments and other small projects! A $62.58 value!

(Pictured left, these adorable snowmen ornaments by Linda Noblitt were created using small Jewelry gourds [i.e. under 2" in diameter])

To get your FREE gift, simply place an order for $49 or more on our web site or by phone and use coupon code FG2609 at check out. That’s it!

You will automatically receive your 21 little gourds, 15 of which are 1″-2″ in diameter, and 6 of which are the prized “micro-mini” gourds under 1″ in diameter! (Please note, you will NOT see these items appear in your shopping cart, but as long as your code is entered you will receive the free gift.)

Pictured right, this beautiful gourd kachina doll by Pamela Redhawk is a stunning example of what is possible using the tiny gourds in your FREE gift.

The kachina is adorned with tiny gourds hanging from her garments, a miniature gourd purse, and a fantastic array of miniature gourd pots at her base, all replicas of Pam’s full size art pieces!

There are only a few of the $62.58 free gifts left so order now! Click here!

*Free gift available only while supplies last. Not available with any other offer.

Gourdially Yours,

 Each online or phone order that totals at least $49 comes with a FREE gift of 21 beautiful, “baby” gourds (under 2 inches in diameter), all cleaned and craft ready. A $62.58 value!

To get your gift, be sure to enter coupon code FG2609 during check out, and remember, you will NOT see the free gift appear in your cart but as long as your code is entered it will be included in your order!

Pictured right, this beautiful gourd kachina doll by Pamela Redhawk is a stunning example of what is possible using the tiny gourds in your FREE gift.

(The kachina is adorned with tiny gourds hanging from her garments, a miniature gourd purse, and a fantastic array of miniature gourd pots at her base, all replicas of Pam’s full size art pieces!)

To get your $62.58 gift with purchase of $49 or more, order online now — click here!

Join Us THIS SATURDAY, March 7th, 2009 for Opening Day at the Farm!

Opening Day is the first day the new crop of gourds is available for purchase at the farm and is an opportunity like no other!

Not only will you find incredible gourds not available through mail order at rock bottom prices, you’ll also receive a FREE gift* valued at $20.86 when you purchase $25 or more in gourds!

Looking for bottle gourds to make Ipu drums? These special Ipu gourds always sell out fast so NOW is the time to come to the farm and select the gourds you need!

Specialty Shapes In Short Supply at the Farm — Don’t Miss Out!

Every year we get a small number of specialty shapes that are the result of cross pollination in the fields.

These gourds are pure products of Mother Nature and nothing we planned for or could duplicate if we tried. Some are so spectacular they could be left as is and displayed as works of art in their own right!

Because each one is so unique and because there are so few of them, these gourds are not available on our web site or through mail order, and they are always the first to sell out at the farm.

Also very popular and in extremely short supply this year (and therefore not available on our web site) are the apple gourd, egg gourd, and people gourd (pictured right).

Pictured left, “Spirit Doll” by Kathy Riker, created using a people gourd. (If you ever have the opportunity to take Kathy’s Spirit Doll class, it is a fantastic class and an opportunity not to be missed!)

Egg gourds are another popular shape, great for making ornaments (see photo, right) and more delicate projects. The shells are thinner on these gourds, but their near-perfect, egg shape makes them a favorite among gourders.

Other rare gourds include the maranka gourd, the zucca gourd, the sculpture gourd, and the warty gourd.

Warty gourds, along with apple and maranka gourds, have amazingly dense shells so they take colors and finishes differently than other gourds.

One of the reasons they are so popular is the heavy shell can be waxed and polished to a very high shine, making any colors applied to the gourd appear deeper and more brilliant than normal.

Zucca gourds are prized for their large form and unique shape, and although thinner in shell thickness, they are often used to make sculpture pieces and large kachina dolls or figurines. (Pictured right, Phoebe Welburn holds a large zucca gourd.)

Fans of the popular TV series, “Star Trek,” often refer to the maranka gourd as the “Klingon” gourd because its lumpy look is so reminiscent of the facial features on the Klingon characters. These gourds are always popular with our customers!

New this year are a limited number of “basketball gourds” with absolutely incredibly, thick shells! (see photo, below, right) We’d like to take credit for planting these, but yet again it is a shape that came as an unexpected gift from the gourd patch.

The hard, dense shell of these gourds is similar to the apple gourd but they have no ridges or bumps and are strikingly symmetrical and smooth.

Savvy shoppers know to come early for the opportunity to purchase the specialty shape gourds as many of them sell out within the first week.

Got Stems? If you love long and elegant stems on your gourds, you will LOVE the selection of bottle gourds this year, many of which have been cut specifically with extra length on the stem!

Pictured right, bottle gourd birdhouse with extra long, fancy stem, by artist, Susan Chuck.

As the year goes on, more and more stems break off as the gourds are shuffled around in the bins, so now is the best time to come to the farm to get gourds with beautiful stems!

Pictured left, pear gourd, cleaned and craft-ready with stem intact.

If you need specialty shapes or Ipu gourds, coming for Opening Day is the best way to ensure you get the gourds you need! Remember, all gourd purchases of $25 or more on Opening Day come with a FREE gift valued at $20.86!

Gates open at 9am and close at 4pm. For directions, click here.

*Free gifts for both mail order and farm purchases are one per customer. May not be combined with any other offer.

Last Chance to Get $50.00 Off on Exhibitor Space for the Gourd Art Festival!

This year’s 13th Annual Gourd Art Festival is coming June 27th and 28th, and now is the time to send in your exhibitor application because you’ll save $50.00 just for meeting the early registration deadline of March 7th!

Request your application online now and as long as you get everything mailed by Saturday, March 7th (or you may hand deliver it to us at the Farm on Opening Day) you’ll qualify for the $50 discount on your booth space!

Pictured right, this beautiful vase with leaf design was created by Dianne Connelly, exhibiting artist at the upcoming Gourd Art Festival, June 27th and 28th, 2009!