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!

The Rock Cutting Has Begun!

 Summer is here!

And it's finally warm enough for me to work in the shop with water. So the saw is humming and we've had some pretty awesome cuts so far. Here's a stone with a lot of copper oxide on the surface.

 And sure enough, the inside didn't disappoint.

You can even see a spot of native copper just to the left of the thumbnail. We also cut some very nice vein agate.

And some awesome plume /moss agate.

I just love the patterning and colour on this one so there is a really nice cabochon in its future.

Stay tuned with more cuts to come. And if you are in the neighbourhood, stop by and say hi and pick up your free tumbled rock. Take home a piece of "The Neck".

The Process

 I am not a jeweler per se. I am a lapidary. To me the most important element in any piece is the stone so settings are created to best show the stone and keep it safe. In this particular case, I was working with a stone exhibiting amazing patterning so the challenge was to create a setting that didn't cover it up. Step #1 was the design.

I positioned the stone on the paper and located the three shallow tabs where they would be clear of the best patterning and yet keep the stone secure in all directions. I cut the paper (roughly) and repositioned the stone using 2 sided tape. Then I folded the tab extensions up and drew the tab shapes and lengths. I used the square outline to cut a piece from my upcycled copper sheet and then cut the copper plate to fit the design. Then it was a matter of doing a LOT of filing until the plate matched the paper outline. At that point, I switched to sandpaper (400 grit -12,000 grit) to create burnished areas and other areas where I left the patina and character intact. Using a metal punch, a hole was made in the top extension to accommodate  the jump ring. At that point I carefully bent the 3 prongs until the stone was firmly held everywhere.

This agate is really amazing and I thought it deserved a special sliding bail. So I created this one and even added a little copper bead to "cinch" the neck.

The real problem was getting the colouring right on the picture. I can assure you it is much more dramatic in person (a photographer is another thing I am not!). Next step was to choose a complimentary premium leather cord and choose the length. I settled on a dark red to pick up the red in the stone and a length of 52 cm. (20 inches). The stone was hung on the leather and I finished it with a hand made decorative neck clasp.

I think the final piece is a real show stopper! Available on line or in the store and remember, I sell cabochons so if you would like to work with some beautiful rock, just let me know.

See you soon.

By the way, I have just passed 130K (non bot) page views on this blog and I would like to thank all of you for being part of my adventure.

Busy Times

 Things have been pretty hectic recently at The Artists' Mark.

 The Yarn sale on our hand dyed yarn ($15/ skein) is in full swing and while over 100 have been sold, we still have plenty left!

I must say that apart from being obsessed fanatics (you know who you are, heh,heh), knitters are some of the nicest people who come into the shop. And apparently they don't just like yarn. Recently I was concentrating on making new inventory but it hasn't gone all that well since uncaring thoughtless people keep buying it, forcing me to make even more. 

here's what I mean.

All sold!

I still have a few new beauts, however.

I'll be in the studio making more this week so if you're looking for a fantastic deal on hand dyed yarn, knit goods or rock jewelry, come on by.

Just a note: we'll be closed Wednesday afternoon because of an appointment.

Going To The Big City

Since we will be leaving early Thursday morning to see our daughter in Dartmouth and not returning until Friday afternoon, the shop will be closed all day Wednesday, Thursday and Friday and will reopen on Saturday.

The yarn sale is in full swing and pretty much everything else in the shop is also on sale so with the weather improving, it's a great time to come on by, walk the beach and check out the deals!

Hope to see you soon! 

We Finally Have a Name.

 After a wonderful decade in paradise, we have finally decided to give this great house a name!

It's actually a little bittersweet because we are thinking it might be time to move into a smaller place closer to our daughter in Dartmouth. Let me tell ya, it ain't gonna be easy!

Something about this old house (and it is OLD- but modernized) just captures your heart and fires the imagination. But we're both well into our 70's and perhaps it's time to slow down a little. But it will be hard to not have these sunrises.

And we're sure gonna miss these views from the deck.

Not many places have a walk on sandy beach just across the street but sadly, since the multiple hip replacements, the walks are few and far between. So, as they say, life does not stand still and neither should you. One door closes and another opens and we're already making plans for our next "excellent adventure"

The house is huge and has two separate art studios as well as its own gift shop (see other blog posts). It has a new roof but needs some repairs and rather than do them ourselves, we're going to let the next owners put their own stamp on it. So if you have a sense of adventure (especially if you are an artist) and like the idea of living in your own slice of paradise with beachcombing and whale watching nearby and St. Mary's Bay across the street, get in touch.

And because of this change almost all items in the store are at least 20% off so come by and get some great deals!

 And no, I'm not crying- I just have something in my eye!