Time to Create

 It is now the middle of May but it is still too cool to fire up the machines in the rock lab. So we've been using the time to create more pieces for the shop. I had this piece of copper flashing that came from a collapsed and abandoned house and was well over 100 years old and decided it was time to put it to use and give it a second life. It would be reincarnated as cuff bracelets.

The first step was to cut out blanks.

As you can see, they were pretty rough with some still having shingles and paint attached along with a lot of creases and dents. But this is what I treasure because it gives the final piece character. We decided to use two different techniques. The first was to clean up both sides and then pass the copper through our rolling mill with something (such as the plastic netting from an old onion bag) to create an impression.

The results were fantastic!

The second technique was to clean and polish the inside and then remove the verdigris, paint and some of the oxidation from the outer side. At that point we used several different "tools" to hammer from the inside to create raised points and creases on the rough side. Then, after a lot of filing and sanding, we had some amazing results.

Finally, we got a little fancy and combined the copper with some beautiful vintage glass beads.

These are just a a sampling of what we have in the shop and of course we had to add one made from a length of beautiful Viking Knit chain.

But that's not all we've done. In the next post I'll show you some beautiful earrings and one of the most spectacular pieces we have ever created. So stay tuned! And if your travels take you to Digby Neck- the most beautiful part of Nova Scotia (I may be biased) -stop by and say hi and see these pieces in person!

Another Season Begins

 Winter does not give up on Digby Neck easily. Winds off the water keep temperatures cool so even sunny days can be unpleasant. But eventually, all bad things must come to an end. The crocuses are croaking and the Great Blue Herons are back. The hummingbirds have reached southern Maine on their annual trek north and the cormorants will soon be basking in the sun at the dock across the street.

So after a tough winter, it's time to open The Artist's Mark.

The sign post will definitely need some repair but inside, things are looking pretty spiffy!

As you can see, we still have a good selection of our premium hand dyed yarn at our cost ($22/skein). Over the winter, we have created a wide selection of jewelry including some awesome copper bangle bracelets for both men and women, Viking Knit chain necklaces in both copper and sterling silver and pendants featuring stones from across the street and around the world. Here's a show stopper we just did in silver.

So if your vacation plans take you to Nova Scotia, come to the best part- Digby (the scallop capital of the world) and Digby Neck, home of the famous Balancing Rock, Whale Watching and, of course, our beautiful little shop.

Since I am a lapidary, I have an awesome rock shop so if you have kids, stop by and we'll give them a free gift and show them how you cut and shape rocks.

We're usually open every day but you can contact us by phone (902) 482-2188 or email ptoceanwaves@gmail.com to make sure.

Hope to see you soon!

The Viking Knit Chain

 A few years back my Norwegian wife taught me how to weave this beautiful Viking Knit Chain and I use it regularly to create awesome pendants with my agate cabochons.

Normally I use 24G copper wire but when I want a challenge, I'll use 22G. The wire is "woven" around a wood or metal dowel.

As you can see, at this stage it's pretty irregular and doesn't look like much. After I have a length of about 8 inches, I'll take it off the dowel. By this time I will have used over 50 feet of wire. The diameter is the same as the dowel.

I have made myself a draw plate out of oak and this is what I use to "stretch" the chain.

Starting with the largest diameter, I draw the chain through successive holes until I get to a diameter of 7/32 inch. Now the chain will look like this.

As you can see, the weave has become much tighter and the chain has a little more than doubled in length. To make sure it doesn't unravel and to enable the addition of a clasp, I have to make end caps. These can be bought but I prefer to make my own out of 16G copper wire.

I then attach sliding copper bails to the stone so it can be hung on the chain. Some I make but the filigree ones are commercial.

Then the piece is completed with a hand made copper clasp.

The chain can also be used to make bracelets.

Every once in a while I make the chain out of sterling silver wire and then I use a spectacular sterling silver sliding bail.

It takes me about 4 hours to weave the chain and another 1.5 hours to do the finishing but it's a lot of fun and the finished product is well worth it.

Making Copper Bracelets

 While cleaning out the "Lap of Lapidary, I came across a piece of copper chimney flashing that had been saved from a derelict 100+ year home. So this copper is definitely "vintage". I knew I had to make something with it and decided to make bangle bracelets.

Here's how it looked after I cut the rough forms.

It looks grungy, beat up and ugly or in my eyes, perfect!

After a lot of grinding, filing and sanding and using the metal roller to add some texture,  here's how it looked.

The next step was to shape it around my form. To do this, I heated it up and slowly wrapped it around the form. Then, when that was done, I had to work harden it by hitting it with a rubber mallet. Here's how the first one turned out.

We liked that so much that we decided to get a little more adventurous. This meant adding more (distorted) texture and then "pickling" to give it an antique sheen. This is what we got.

These have turned out so well that we have decided to make a few more and get even more adventurous. I love the idea of creating something from material that had served its purpose as a chimney flashing and giving it a totally new existence. It's not every day you get to create a brand new "antique"!

These will be available on line or in the shop for $45 CDN plus shipping. We're gonna go crazy so stay tuned to see what comes next!

Fall Comes To The Artist's Mark

 Well, the weather certainly has changed. No more lounging on the deck and no more work in the "Lap of Lapidary" because all the work has to be done in water and that water is now COLD!

Fall brings with it new birds (the Jays are back) and animals.

This guy is now a regular customer at the salad bar that grows in the French drain at the back. And some of the existing animals have started seeking warmth and comfort.

We still get spectacular sunrises but it now comes up in a different spot.

And since the pace is a little slower, there are family get togethers. Here we are with grandgirl Sydney and daughters Lisa (from the Bahamas) and Sandra at a great Indian restaurant called Dhaba in Halifax.

If you like Indian food, this is the place for you!

But mostly, fall is when I move from working on stones to making jewelry and guitar picks with them. The first order of business is to choose the stones I want to work with for pendants and ear rings and, where necessary, drill them. This has been done with only a few disasters. Next, I have to make more Viking chain. I'm starting with a few in 24 gauge copper but will eventually switch to 22 gauge copper and 24 gauge sterling silver. Here's how they look unfinished.

This chain was only about 8 inches long when I wove it from about 50 feet of wire but after drawing it through my oak draw plate it is now thinner, tighter and about 18 inches long. By the time I add the clasp it will be 20 inches- perfect pendant length. I'll also be making bracelets from the chain.

I have some absolutely beautiful stones to work with this winter so check back and see how this one turns out and what other pieces come off the bench.

And if you are looking for holiday gifts or yarn, just call the number on the blog and we'll open for you.

Summer Project Complete

 Every spring I set out with a goal to finish enough rough rock to allow me to replace the cabochons and guitar picks I have sold through the summer in the shop and on line and this year I set out with high expectations because I had beautiful agate and jasper to work with.

I set my Cab King up so that I can use the coarse wheels on the left and also access the trim saw to cut shapes etc..

This actually makes the first stage of rough shaping go much faster. The plan is to take all pieces (this year about 60) through this phase and then remove the trim saw attachment (great saw by the way) and put back the three finishing wheels and polishing pad. And the plan was going perfectly until my sciatic nerve started to really act up and I couldn't stand up long enough to use the machine. So here I was with 60+ unfinished cabs and cold weather approaching. I needed a plan "B".

My wife Vickie (A.K.A. The Real Artist) knows how to use our Lot-O-Tumbler so we decided to finish them with it. The first problem was coming up with a big enough load and we did that by adding smaller, round, polished silicate stones. We sort of picked up where the wheels had left off by going with 600 grit and using more than usual to take into account the larger surface area of the smaller rocks. Normally I go one day on this grit but this time we went two. Vickie then moved on to 1000 grit silicone carbide pre polish and then to tin oxide polish. In both steps we added more grit and went two days. Finally, she did a burnishing cycle with Ivory Soap and again, we used more than normal.

The results were more than acceptable and there was virtually no breakage or damage. Here's how the total load looked.

And here's how it looked when all the round and small stones had been removed.

Now that I look at it, there were probably more than 60 pieces. But I ended up with some great cabochons,

and awesome guitar picks!

Would I go this route again in the future? Probably not simply because I love the process and I think the Cab King finishing wheels do a slightly better job. Also, you can't finish pieces that have crystal druzy pockets this way. But this process had it's advantages. First, it was faster and second it saved the wear on the finishing wheels but most importantly it gave us a way to finish the job with me out of commission!

New Pieces For The Shop

We have been very busy of late and while it's nice to see your work being appreciated and leaving with a happy customer, it means I have to get back to work.

Right now I'm working on cabochons I made, creating upcycled copper bails in a manner so they can be interchanged to suit the customer. I have an amazing stock of Mexican Crazy Lace Jasper and here are a few finished pieces.

 

As you can see, the colour and patterning on these is absolutely stunning! And these stones are rare since it is now difficult to obtain new material.

But we have beautiful local rock as well. We have a rock called Stilbite that can be very colourful and exhibit amazing patterning. Here's a great example:

And of course we have amazing agate and jasper.

These can be purchased in our shop or online. Hope to see you soon!