A Special Project for our Family in Japan

A lot of people know that my husband and I recently made a trip to Tokyo, Japan to visit for a couple of weeks with our oldest son and his family that is with him. After returning we made a special gourd piece which is going in the mail to them as one of their Christmas gifts this week. Here's a little bit on it and the wonderful Proxxon Tiny Tools that we used to create it.

Supplies Used in this project:

1 Med/Large Gourd
Proxxon Delta Sander OZI/E
Proxxon Super JigSaw STS 12/E
Heat adjusting Wood Burner
Dremel or similar tool with burrs
Paints (Acrylics)
Sealer (I use Kamar Varnish)

When starting out, after cleaning the outside of the gourd, I used my Proxxon Super Jig Saw to cut around the gourd to open it up and create a bowl.

Once this was done, I cleaned out the inside and sanded the inside and the top using my Proxxon Delta Sander. 

Sorry but I forgot to get the picture before the inside and top of the gourd was painted. You can tell from the picture though just how smooth I was able to get the interior.

I then wood burned the designs on the gourd and carved and sanded (with my Proxxon Delta Sander) Mt. Fuji and carved out around the cherry blossoms and Shrine. When I completed my part I turned the gourd over to my husband who painted the designs and I finished it off with the background and sealer. This is what the piece looked like when finished from several sides:

Oh yes, we added some 10 cent yen pieces to further decorate the gourd. Hopefully this will be a family heirloom and remind them of Japan when they are no longer there and also to remind them of our visit. What do you think of the project? Has anyone used any of the Proxxon Tiny Tools, such as the Jigsaw or Sander? Comments are certainly welcome and appreciated.

Barbara