Fall- The Best Time To Visit "The Neck"

 The  crazy days of summer have departed and life now continues at a more leisurely pace. The young visitors are back at school and been replaced by those who tend to linger over the beauty of the area.

Here at the shop we are still busy greeting travelers and doing some last minute cutting to get material ready for the winter fabrication. Today we are cutting blanks to make guitar picks out of a rock called obsidian- natural volcanic glass. It's hard to work with but makes great guitar picks!

We've also had to make items to fill the holes left in the shop display. here are a few of the new items.

This is a gorgeous example of Picture Jasper. I did a perimeter groove so the full beauty of the "picture" could be shown. Then I hung it on a very unique copper chain and finished it with a hand made copper neck clasp. The result is a real show stopper.

Next we have an awesome piece of Brier Island Jasper exhibiting an uncommon green colour. I set it using 100+ year old upcycled copper with a rustic finish to reveal some of the history and hung it on another unique copper chain.

The last piece is another head turner. The closer you look, the more complex this piece of agate becomes. Again it is perimeter grooved to accommodate a german silver wrapping but is worthy of it's sterling silver chain and clasp. Zoom in to see the true beauty of this piece.

So there is lots going on. Vickie is still painting in her studio and coming up with new, crazy "What Ifs" If you are in the area or planning a trip stop by and say hi. We are usually open from 9:30 to 4:30 but always by appointment if you call ahead. 902 482-2188.

And we still have a great selection of hand dyed yarn!

Look forward to seeing you!

Latest Happenings at the Shop

 Well we're finally getting some decent weather and our tourist guests are starting to arrive. Since it's now warm enough to work in the rock lab, fabrication is in high gear.

The Hi-Tech 10 inch rock saw has been busy:

with some pretty cool results!

We've also made some awesome cabochons on the Cab King cabbing machine

that have become amazing pendants.

There has also been a real push to replenish our supply of the popular rock guitar picks.

Here we see a selection made from dendritic jasper, crazy lace agate, obsidian (volcanic glass) and jasper. Of course, that has meant me keeping busy hand sewing the pouches!

The store layout has been revamped and we have a lot of exciting new pieces along with a great selection of our own hand dyed yarn. So if your travels take you to Digby Neck, stop by and say hi and pick up your free souvenir of the most unique part of beautiful Nova Scotia!

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".

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!