About Me

 

Hi!  My name is Cary Mummé and I’d like to share with you the story of how The Lord’s Gourds came to be. The journey began in 2002 when my husband, our son, and I returned from an extended trip.  We arrived home to find that one third of the backyard had been taken over by a huge vine.  My husband, Robert, recognized the unexpected fruit as gourds.  It was suggested to us that a bird made a "seed deposit" and that was how the vines came to be.  When we looked carefully at the plant, we saw that two "seed deposits" must have been made because we had canteen and birdhouse gourds growing.  I have always enjoyed craft work and painting and thought there had to be something interesting and fun that could be done with gourds, so we saved them.  It is a good thing it took a year for me to decide on a project, because I discovered that it takes about 6 to 10 months for gourds to dry out and the shell to harden.

 

The first project was obvious.  That Christmas everyone received birdhouses that my son and I wood burned and painted.  The following Christmas I purchased a small rotary tool and made the canteen gourds into trinket boxes with engraved lids.  The third year I made Christmas ornaments from the smaller gourds.  I carved nativities, painted Santas, and wood burned poinsettias.  By the fourth year I started seeking other venues to distribute my wares.  You can only give gourds as gifts so many times!  Both sides of the family were quite gourded-out.

 

By anonymously donating some of my pieces to my son’s school silent auction, I was able to gauge people’s reactions to my work. I was thrilled as several people bid on the gourds. I still enjoy donating anonymously to fund raisers and continue to be delighted with the response.

 

Over time, I envisioned more diverse art that could emerge from the marvelous gourds, such as masks, vases, and wreaths.

 

Family needs and the urging of friends led me to advance my hobby into a business. As the seeds popping up in my yard were a lovely gift from God, The Lord’s Gourds seemed an appropriate name for this venture. Transforming gourds into works of art gives me great pleasure and I hope you enjoy my pieces as much as I enjoyed creating them!