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Make a Red Gourd Shakere
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Step 6

Make a “Snake” with Cowrie Shells Gourd Shekere

  1. Put an Image on the Gourd

  2. Drill the Cowrie Shell Beads

  3. Knot on Shell Beads (Noise makers)

  4. Cut Bottom Hole Add Knots, Perform Winter Solstice Rituals

  5. Add Feathers

  6. It Flies


Make an Gourd Rattle with Black Walnut Knockers

  1. Prepare Black Walnut Beads
  2. Preparing the Design, Cutting and Pyrography
  3. Coloring the Rattle
  4. Attaching the Walnuts
  5. Add the Feathers and Finish the Rattle


A Foraged Foxtail

Honnu Turtle Guiro
 : Adding Tiger Stripes to the gourd shekere with Leather Dye :

I used Feibings leather dye as usual. The method I have found to transfer the dye to my pallete with the least mess is to use a drinking straw and cover the end with my thumb while transfering dye. For this gourd I used only dark brown.
coloring the gourd with leather dye

The stripes were added almost randomly trying for the “round the body” tiger-y sort of look

tiger stripes painted on another view

Later, after it was dyed, I decided to try to finish it with wax to see if it would buff or gleam a little. I used "neutral" shoe polish. On first application it gave a darker, dampened sort of look but that dried to transparent and buffing didn't really seem to bring out much luster. It seemed to have little noticeable effect. I ritually smoked tobacco during this task.

treating the gourd with wax

Go the the next step, attaching the cowries

 : Links/Sponsors :

Make a Shakere is sponsored by Fertility Futures, a firm focused on helping make families possible. Many would be parents are unable to realize their dreams of a family with children due to fertility issues. Fertility Futures brings medical specialists and counselors to bear on these difficult problems, helping couples with a range of solutions from fertility therapy through the use of surrogates to carry a child through pregancy for a family. In order to support this service, Fertility Futures also solicits egg donors for its ova donation program. People who face challenges in becoming parents, or healthy women who are willing to become egg donors should consider visiting Fertility Futures.

Rhythm Workers Union my inspiration for all things rhythmic

Guerilla Poetry Insurgency some wonderful people who understand the power and importance of the spoken word


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