Problem Solved!

One task I set for myself this summer was to find a way to do my gourd work using a colorfast medium that gave me the same effects as my leather dyes did. And today I am proud to announce, mission accomplished! I have journeyed now through 7 different product lines. All claim to be colorfast or at least resistant to fading. Some have interesting properties, but they didn't run and merge like the dyes. I even tried mixing the various products with different solvents to push them where I wanted to go.

Yesterday, I found the perfect alcohol based ink that is mare for nonporous surfaces. Sounds like it was made for gourds to me though I have not seen it mentioned to date.
And it works well with my existing resist for my batik style of painting. Hurrah!

I am already testing the interactions of this product line with the other products I have tries to keep my palette as colorful, rich and subtle as possible. Besides that, I can affiliate with a company that sells these products. I don't have to sell them myself.

It feels awesome to set a challenge before myself and persist through to completion. I discovered so many interesting techniques and products along the way. Sometimes it was fun to explore the alleys and byways of crafting I will probably never do. But I might find a way to apply the concept to gourds or glass or something else fun on the horizon.

The search has been as much fun as the eureka moment. Now I have the full line of colors on order and can hardly wait for their arrival. Simple joys are at hand.
The more I savor the question, the more I discover "Why do I love my life so much"?