by slinginit » Mon Jul 23, 2012 8:34 pm
Thanks so much KidCuba!! I use nylon parachute cord available from army/navy supply stores (or ebay). Ran out of black and white cord and unfortunately so did the store. But the local store carries a range of colors so I opted for beige. It's neutral and softens the contrast between the gourd and the net, plus it works well with either the white or black nylon twine (0.7mm) which I use for net assembly. I think the softer contrast of the net makes the bead colors pop against the gourd.
The gourds are stained and polyurethaned. I've been developing bursts and blends as a signature bead style as well as blending stains, manipulating stain coats, etc.. The gourd is my canvas. There are about 7 more burst designs planned but I need to move these first. I have sold about 40 shekeres nationwide and my prices are very reasonable; this is simply a fun creative outlet that funds itself. All proceeds go to purchasing gourds, beads, cord, polyurethane, stain, brushes, etc. and I donate most of what's left.
PM me if interested. I know this isn't the "instrument sale" section but I could post a more detailed rundown of each shekere if desired. The above shekeres are for sale but are also demontrative of what I can create - about half of my sales have been custom designs. Prices are directly and only related to the amount of materials needed, size of guord, etc.; there's no extra "fee" for developing something personal and unique.