Gourd Jewelry?

Well, why not?  You can make anything you want out of just about any material with just a little bit of imagination and a whole lot of determination - right?  Anyway my friend Millie who actually GROWS gourds mentioned that she was going to use gourd shards to make jewelry - pins, pendants, earrings?  hair clips perhaps.  Anyway guess gourd shards are pieces of gourd, then probably cut to desired shape or used as is, then sanded, painted, polished, embellished, etc.  So I decided to make some shards from a gourd that was dented in and wouldn't be used for any bird houses.  I cut the top off, then cut down into the base and just cut some random shapes with scissors, used sandpaper to smooth and define the shapes, used a small screwdriver to gently twist a hole where needed.  Then I sued a small round file to "clean" the fibrous material off the back of the shard.  These shards are fairly fragile but I think once I get them painted and sprayed with acrylic sealer they will hold up well enough for several wearings!  I took the very top of the gourd where the stem is, cut that off with about half inch around the stem, then used the file to clean out the fibrous material and leave a little tuft in the middle, contoured the edges, left the stem about 2 1/2 inches long and it looks like a little poppy flower - I plan to paint it bright orange and make a pin; I also cut out and sanded pieces for leaves.  A new medium, new ideas, new possibilities!  That is the definition of INSPIRATION!!  I'll post  pictures of some of the finished product.