WELCOME New members...Nalla from Boulder Creek, California;  Brathere from Graham, Washington; Pitchounet from St. Etienne, Quebec; Sunee from South Bend, Indiana

Birthday Wishes.. Allinome from Phoenix, Arizona August 3; Doreda from Richmond, Virginia August 13; Willow from Melbourne, Australia August 18; Paddy from St. Louis, Missouri August 20; Joanal from Daytona Beach, Florida August 23; Dune Gnome Dennis from Yarmouth, Maine August 28...........Belated birthday wishes to our two new members who both celebrated on June 5.

Gnome Challenge....get a new member to join the gnome club in August and receive a free set of 3 tiny ceramic bisque German Gnomes to paint! Or order a set for $5 plus postage by emailing QueenGnome@foundus.com

Gnome of you own...save money and increase your gnome sanctuary by creating gnomes of your own. You can be the envy of fellow gnome-owners with your own, custom made gnome. With a little imagination the results can be surprising. There are 3 types of molds. Latex, excellent for concrete; plastic, to produce plaster gnomes; and plaster molds used for ceramic and porcelain gnomes.

If making your own casting is too much for you, obtain unpainted gnomes and paint them yourself. There are many excellent "outdoor" paints in a wide variety of colors available from local craft shops, department and hardware stores.

Concrete Gnomes: Air holes are always a problem with concrete gnomes. These can be filled with polyfilla. Be sure to let the polyfilla completely dry prior to painting. Unpainted concrete gnomes are available from garden shops, specialty stores and by mail order.

Fixing broken concrete gnomes: If your concrete gnome breaks, it can be repaired. To join broken parts mix up some epoxy glue. Available in a convenient hypodermic type needle, that mixes the required resin and hardener in small amounts. Apply the glue to both broken parts and press together firmly. Wipe off any excess glue.  Use masking tape to hold the pieces together until the glue sets. When completely set fill in any gaps and holes with polyfilla. Let dry and paint. Missing parts can be created with car-body filler! Sand all repairs then seal and paint. Your gnome will look like new!

Keeping your garden gnome in good condition: Prior to painting concrete must be made weatherproof. Use a primer or varnish specifically for concrete. Be sure the undersides are done so that the gnome is completely sealed. Many garden gnomes are not sealed on their undersides. I now recommend that ALL outdoor gnomes be completely sealed. To keep your gnomes looking like new wax them with car wax!

Painting a gnome: There are two kinds of paints. Enamels (oil based) which can be applied directly to the sealed surface and acrylic (water based) paints which offer more varied colors and are easier to mix. Start with larger areas first, leaving each coat to dry before moving on to another area or adding another coat. Two coats are recommended for large areas. Details like eyes and lips can be left until last. Tidy up your painting, add a top sealer (varnish), and since this is your very own creation you are not bound by any color conventions.

Book...in the next chapter of "Along the Rails" we will meet the Cliff-dweller gnomes and learn why some gnomes don't have mustaches! Visit the member pages and watch for it in August.

Book Reviews...check out the book reviews on the member site! If you want a book review done on any gnome book please let me know the title and author and I would be pleased to review it.

 

World Wide Gnome Association Convention 2000!

("WWGA Convention 2000") Ok folks, this is your first notification of a planned convention for the club. Where? Why right here in the "Harmony Chat Room". The date is set for the first Saturday in October. If there are any specific topics you would like to discuss let me know. Further details will be provided in the September Newsletter.