We're Open For 2023!

 Hi folks.

We'll, if the weather cooperates, we will be open this holiday weekend- April 7-9.

While it is still to cool to fire up the machines in the Lap of Lapidary, we have plenty of new pieces in the shop and while they last, we have a sale section.

So if your travels take you to beautiful Digby Neck, stop by and say hi. You just might leave with a treasure. And don't forget, everyone who stops by can take home a free piece of The Neck- a polished local stone.

The Rewards of Lapidary.

Since the weather has been lousy and we can't really go anywhere because of good ol' Covid 19, I've been able to cut some of the local rock in my shop and have had some pleasant (and in some cases interesting) results. If you want to see amazing detail, just click on the picture.

 Take, for instance this unassuming rock.

This humble little rock was found on the shores of St. Mary's Bay. It appears to be a highly altered granite and its structure suggests that it might have been carried by the ice sheet from just west of Saint John, New Brunswick! If correct, imagine how long that journey took! (Thank you Rob Raeside, Acadia U. for the insight)

Then there's this little gem.

The exterior structure suggested that it might have an interesting core and, voila!

Just imagine the time (and chemistry) needed to make those beautiful linear patterns!

Here's a piece that offers a real contrast- simple on the outside:

And amazingly complex on the inside!

The central band actually changes composition from agate to amethyst (the purple area). Again, the patterning is amazingly complex when looked at in detail.

The following is interesting because of the colour.

The area that appears black is actually an indigo blue and the blue becomes more apparent when it is cut thinner. It is stunning up against the red haematite bands!

This next piece has it all!

The red areas are haematite and there is even a little  bit of fortification agate (white)

Did I save the best for the last? You be the judge. Again. it didn't look all that great on the outside.

But on the inside, oh my!

The patterning is amazingly detailed and I really like the lemon yellow sections!

Agates have to be one of the most interesting types of rock around and we have so many varieties in Nova Scotia. What I like is that all the beauty is really caused by chemical impurities that cause the colour variations. Without that, we would have just plain quartz!

By the way, all these were cut on my Hi-Tech 10 inch water cooled/lubricated saw. It does an amazing job!

I hope that you have enjoyed looking at these and if you ever want to see them in person, drop by my lapidary shop at The Artist's Mark on Digby Neck!

Polymer Clay Jewelry- Part 2

Yesterday, I showed you beautiful jewelry made from polymer clay. Many of the pieces contained striking geometric patterns and we are often asked how this is achieved so today, we're going to show you how it is done.

We start by mixing up the desired colours: (and by we, I mean Vickie)

These colours are then assembled into various patterns and shapes:

These shapes are then assembled into what is called a "cane" and reduced to about 1.5 square inches. This reduction process creates a cane about 10 inches long and this is then cut into two or more (in this case 4) sections each 2.5 inches long. The blade needed to produce these cuts is a tissue blade and is EXTREMELY sharp!

Two of these sections are then cut on the diagonal through the length, cutting opposite corners on each of the two. This yields 4 differently patterned triangle canes, each of which can yield 3 different patterns for a total of 12 potentially.

Each triangle is cut into two equal segments and the two pieces are picked up and placed face-to-face.

This is further reduced to about a half inch square which produces a length of about 4-6 inches. This cane is then cut into 4 sections:

Each piece is arranged in one of the three possible double mirrored arrangements ( called a tessellation).

Then this final arrangement becomes the new cane and can be wrapped in complimentary colours and then slices can be taken and used to  cure and produce the final beads.

Pretty easy, huh?

Actually, you can see that this takes a lot of skill and practice as well as an artistic sense to choose the most desirable options and colours.

So now that you know the process, we hope that you find this jewelry even more special!

P.S. Thought you might like to see a shot of what we woke up to this morning and what makes this place so special. Enjoy!

Latest Piece of Jewelry

Sometimes you are faced with a real dilemma if a stone looks really good on both sides. In this case we were working with a beautiful piece of banded/ fortification agate that had beautiful patterning on both the flat (back) and domed (front) surface.
We decided to set it with half hard, 26 gauge sterling silver wire and here's how it turned out.

Front

The stone is about 3 cms high and we will sell it in the shop with a sterling silver chain for $35- another steal

Beautiful New Piece

Since I got my clean bill of health from the doc on Thursday, I've been really busy in the rock shop. New shelves have gone up and the machines have been humming.
One of the things Vickie has wanted to do is create jewelry pieces with a "live edge".
Woodworkers will be familiar with this since it's common to leave a natural edge on things like tables and mantles- basically leaving the wood as it was cut with little or no shaping or sanding.
The same can be done with rock if you get the right piece and in our latest haul there were several such pieces.
So Vickie gave me a shape to work to and here's the result.

The botryoidal patterns are truly amazing and now Vickie will design a setting to hold the stone.
Wharf Rat Rally this weekend and then things should slow down.
I have one more load to do in the big tumbler and about 6 in the small so they should be all done by the end of October and then I will just concentrate on cutting, grinding and getting all the machines ready for next summer.
It is a beautiful time of the year here on Digby Neck so if you are in the mood for a vacation or even a day trip, drop by and see us. We usually stay open regular hours to the end of October but after that we are open with reduced hours until the end of the year. So if you are looking for a truly unique gift, we probably have it.

Beautiful New Slabs In The Shop

Our friends John and Nancy Hood from Scotia Gems dropped by yesterday and we were able to top up our supply of Bees Best Honey that comes from their hives. (It really is the best the bees make!)
John also brought the slabs he had cut for me. Regular readers of the blog know that I now have a 10 inch saw to go with my 6 inch trim saw but John has a much larger saw on his farm and as they say in lapidary- size matters!
Here is just some of the haul:

This is a beautiful slab of porcelain/crazy lace agate with quartz druzys that John found in the New Minas area.

This was a gift from John- a piece of Feather Agate- an agate formed when silicate replaces a fossil of foraminifera, a small sea creature.

 Beautiful agate slab shown lit from the front.

Same slab lit from the back

Another great slab lit from the front

Same slab lit from the back- Awesome!

We are going to be making some unique stands for these pieces over the winter and they will be in the shop by next spring at the latest.

John and Nancy also left two beautiful stone and silver pendants he created for us to sell and they are both unique and beautiful. I'd show pictures but I think I'll do a whole post on them tomorrow so check back then!

Look forward to seeing you soon. Cheers!

The Natural Beauty of Digby Neck

My surroundings on Digby Neck are truly inspiring in their beauty and the last few days have certainly highlighted this fact. All week we have seen a fisher (mink like mammal) around the house and in the marsh. We often see mink and beaver as well but the fisher was cause for concern because it will kill just about anything- including porcupines!
So I was a little worried about the Great Blue Herons who nest in the marsh next to the house. Turns out my worries were for naught because this morning dawned grey and foggy- the quintessential Nova Scotia morning and as we were having our coffee on the deck, Vickie used her phone to snap this picture of five! herons fishing for their breakfast.

It's a little grainy but take my word for it, we counted five!
But apart from all the wild life, we have so much natural beauty, not only in the topography but in the rocks that make it.
Yesterday I worked on an amazing piece of agate that Vickie found last year. The "neck" in Digby Neck is a basalt massif that runs from New Minas to Brier Island. Cracks form in the basalt (an igneous rock) as it cools and silicate solutions flowing through those cracks (or faults) form seams of various types of agate. Here is a gorgeous example.

These pieces are about 3 inches long and are awesome since they have the same general shape as Digby Neck itself! They are fortification agate so in many spots, they give the appearance of being a topographical map of the area with the basalt beingthe Bay of Fundy and St. Mary's Bay. The red colour is a little band of hematite that frames the agate on both sides.
I now have 4 nice slices that I can turn over to Vickie to make 4 ideal Digby Necklaces that will be available in the shop soon and I have one nice specimen piece for sale. So if you want a souvenir to remind you about the neck- this amazing part of Nova Scotia- this is it! I know it is unlikely that we will ever find another piece like it so these pieces will be truly unique!
Tall ships are here for one more day so we hope to see you soon.
Cheers!

The Tall Ships are Coming!

When I was a boy, we went to Lunenburg  and I saw a tall ship leaving port in full sail. The sound of the wind in the sails- a deep whoosh, whoosh- was awesome and something I remember 60 years later! Now the tall ships are coming to Digby!

The dates are August 15th and 16th and if you are in the area, you have to see them for yourself! You will get a glimpse of what life was like in a seaport 100 years ago.

You can even see the replica of Nova Scotia's most famous ship- the Bluenose- a ship so beautiful she made it to the back of our dime!

But there is a lot more to see in Digby. We are the home to the world's largest scallop fishery and you will see many of those iconic vessels at the dock as well.

And if that's not enough history for you, drive out "The Neck" and visit us at The Artist's Mark Studio/ Shop, right across the street from beautiful Seawall Beach. The house was built in 1849 and the occupants (She Who MUST Be Obeyed and yours truly) are almost that old!

And if that's not old enough for you, we have Agates, Jasper and Fossils in the shop that are over 300 million years old! Now THAT'S history!
By the way, that's the Digby Pines Hotel in the background of the shot above- a great place to spend a few days and explore the area. So if you want interesting scenery, unending photo ops, friendly people and great food, come to Digby and see the Tall Ships!
We'll be waiting for you.

Our Own Little Art Colony!

Each year, more people discover that Digby Neck is a great and unique place to live. Among them are artists who find unlimited inspiration in the beautiful natural surroundings. So far this spring, we have had several new arrivals come in and say hi and tell us a bit about their craft. On top of that, we have some amazing talent that has grown up right here! We have several galleries and many artists (including ourselves) are more than happy to have visitors tour their studios.
It has reached a point where we felt that we had the critical mass necessary to put on our own local art exhibition and sale.

So if you are here in early August, stop by and see some amazing art and meet some of the local artists. You will see a fascinating diversity of mediums and styles and you may even be moved to take home "A Piece of The Neck"! Vickie Turner, our resident artist will have some pieces there and if you want to see more, just drop by our studio/shop, The Artist's Mark, on your way out or back from Sandy Cove. You can't miss us- we're right on the highway.
And if the tide is out, leave some time to walk the beach across the street and maybe find your own "treasure"!
Each year there are new things to see and do on Digby Neck and more and more people are visiting for reasons other than the amazing whale watching. So if you are considering a Nova Scotia vacation this might be the perfect spot for your family to spend a few days.
And when you come, stop by The Artist's Mark Studio/ shop where each visitor gets to choose their own free tumbled stone as a souvenir of this amazing area.

New Season- New Hip

Tomorrow, May 4th, I am going in for a total hip replacement. And to think, it was only 2 years 8 months ago that I was put on the list!
Ain't socialized medicine wonderful?
 Note to our American friends, take good care of yourself because this is what is headed your way.
So, I have managed to get some new agates polished and into the shop in the tiny space left after the yarn is stocked! (Just kidding- we have a really nice new area.)

Yarn Ready For The Shelves

Beautiful Rustic Pendant

And here's a shout out for one of our favourite knitters and shop visitors- Congrats Colleen Jones and her Nova Scotia rink who just won the Senior Women's World Curling Championship!

Just a note- Colleen tells me she hasn't lost  since she bought one of Vickie's paintings so you other curlers might want to give it a try! We have some amazing art in the shop!

Lastly, because of the surgery and rehab, our store openings will be a little sketchy for the next little while. We will be closed from May 4th-9th and after that, it will only be when Vickie is available for a while since I won't be able to get down there. If you are going to be in the area and want to stop by, call us at (902) 482-2188 or send an email and we'll do our best to be open for you.