Double Dalmatian! Yikes, I'm seein' Spots before My Eyes!

I finally finished cutting, and sorting all the cabochons I tumbled. I'm in the process of putting them on my gemstone website: http://www.gemalchemy.com/index.html
The first installment is dalmatian jasper, including my dalmatian Dalmatian Dog, and a spotted heart.
http://www.gemalchemy.com/pages1/dalmatian.html

I'm not sure how I'll use this pup yet, necklace, pendant, brooch. I'm open to suggestions. Below are the stones I've added to the Dalmatian section. I'll be adding others soon.

Jewelry web site: http://www.lunarskies.com
Sculpture: http://www.lunarskies.com/pages1/fineart.html
Etsy Store: http://www.etsy.com/shop/LunarSkiesJewelry?ref=pr_shop
ArtFire Store: http://www.artfire.com/users/lunarskies

Butterfly & Rose Sculpture Featured on ArtFire

I'm a little excited about this one being featured, it's a personal favorite.
http://www.artfire.com/modules.php?name=collections&op=details&cid=18733

 

You can see my other sculptures at: http://www.lunarskies.com/pages1/fineart.html

 Check out the great artists at Creating the Hive: http://www.creatingthehive.com

Good News-Bad News & Yuck!

This is what the stones look like after they've been tumbled. The grit and water form a slurry and the rock debris gets mixed in, yuck! That's why the stones have to be washed after each tumble. The good news is the second stage is finished and the stones are coming along nicely. The bad news is I won't have any time to tumble them again for a little over a week. It's OK, I'm a professional, I'll deal with it in my own way, sniff, sniff.

 

My Gemstone web site: http://www.gemalchemy.com
Jewelry and Fine Art web site: http://www.lunarskies.com
Etsy store: http://www.etsy.com/shop/LunarSkiesJewelry?ref=pr_shop
ArtFire Store: http://www.artfire.com/users/lunarskies
Creating The Hive: http://www.creatingthehive.com

It doesn't work the way I thought, WIP Wednesday

Let the games begin! I finished second cut and started tumbling yesterday.

When I first heard about tumbling stones I had a visual image of rocks inside some kind of drum bouncing around and beating each other senseless. First of all, I'm pretty sure rocks don't have any sense. Secondly, my tumbler has no drum of any kind. The tumbling action is created through vibration, and the stones slowly rotate against each other. So the tumbling action is more like the episode of the Carol Burnett Show, where Tim Conway as the old man falls down the stairs in super slow motion. But not nearly so funny, and for a much longer duration.

If you look closely you can see my dalmatian Dalmatian in the tumbler.
My Gemstone web site: http://www.gemalchemy.com
Jewelry and Fine Art web site: http://www.lunarskies.com
Etsy store: http://www.etsy.com/shop/LunarSkiesJewelry?ref=pr_shop
ArtFire Store: http://www.artfire.com/users/lunarskies
Creating The Hive: http://www.creatingthehive.com

Holy Guacamole, ThatsAlottaRocks! WIP Wednesday

I've finally got the first cut completed and can move on to cut number two. Pictured below is about 4-1/2 lbs. of cabochons, or one and a half Mason jars (only the best high tech equipment for me).

 

The first cut includes trimming the slabs and shaping the cabochons. It's really more of a grinding process. Cut number two uses a finer grit disc and is a refinement of the first cut. Once cut number two is completed the stones can be tumbled; a four stage process that also requires thoroughly washing each stone between tumbles. So there's still quite a bit of work to do before these beauties will be finished cabochons. Then there's the reality that about 15 to 20% of the stones will have to be re-cut or discarded due to imperfections (crazes or bugs) that were not visible before the tumbling began. Crazes are cracks or fissures, bugs are pits or voids. But the 80 to 85% that finish well will make it all worth while.

One of my next projects will be to update and market my gemstone website. You can visit that web site at: http://www.gemalchemy.com

My jewelry and sculpture web site: http://www.lunarskies.com

Lunar Skies Jewelry featured in two ArtFire Collections

Two of my jewelry creations are featured on ArtFire:
http://www.artfire.com/modules.php?name=collections&op=details&cid=17941
and
http://www.artfire.com/modules.php?name=collections&op=details&cid=17938

The Botswana Agate pendant has been feature before, it includes one of the nicest Botswana stones I've ever cut. The Collection that includes the Picture Jasper bracelet is really great. The entire page is picture jasper items, very cool stuff.

My web site: http://www.lunarskies.com

Creating The Hive: http://www.creatingthehive.com

WIP, a Box of Rocks & 3 at once!

This is what I've been working on. It's just a box of rocks, the tough part is that I still need to cut about twice again as many stones as you see here before I can tumble them to finished cabochons. If that seems like a lot of work it's just because IT'S A LOT OF WORK! But it will be worth it when completed. Seen here is a mix of mostly agates and jaspers. The first two cuts are made by hand. When I have about 4-1/2 lbs. of stones I can begin to tumble them. It's a multi-staged process with a thorough wash up between each tumble.

 

The other news is that I was featured in three ArtFire Collections in one day!

 

My Dragonfly sculpture, Chinese Writing Stone pendant, & Butterfly & Poppy sculpture all were featured yesterday in separate ArtFire Collections:
http://www.artfire.com/modules.php?name=collections&op=details&cid=17124
http://www.artfire.com/modules.php?name=collections&op=details&cid=17075
http://www.artfire.com/modules.php?name=collections&op=details&cid=17101 

For my friends at Creating the Hive, I've been away for nearly a week and was unable to post, I missed you guys!