These are some rocks I carved: (top left)rutilated quartz, labradorite, ruby, r.quartz, ruby, moldavite,(next row) ruby, orange garnet, kyanite, labradorite,ruby, kyanite, sapphire,(last row) kyanite, labradorite, 2 sunstones, moldavite, lapis, garnet,lab., sapphire and garnet. Carving (some)rocks is very relaxing, therapeutic almost. I have a lap grinder and it makes shaping stones easy, the only hard part is drilling (some will shatter). It's a time consuming hobby, but I like carving stones especially for a jewelry piece and giving it as a gift, like an amulet. I can't make them for sale because of how long they take, and I can hardly bear to part with them. They seem magical to me, comforting to hold. I plan to drill a bunch tonight, after Azalea is asleep. I almost finished the texture tool molds today, but I'll finish them tomorrow, I need to do something fun right now. It's pizza night and I'm excited about that.
I've designed loads of new pieces for tucson (new clasps! connectors! Yay!) hopefully I can make them all by february. I've misplaced a few bracelet masters (my desk isn't messy, it's just full) which are supposed to debut in tucson, they'll turn up in some weird place (those pixies!). Maybe I'll try making some rings...I just shudder at having to stock sizes.
Once again our designs are getting ripped off, this time by a company called Oriental Trading.com. I guess they liked our bead holder so much, they cast mine and are now selling it online. I wish I could send them a s**tbomb with a letter lecturing them about how it's bad kharma to steal (especially from artists just trying to make a living). But I won't, just a stern letter asking them to cease and desist or get sued (and then a s**tbomb, even if my lawyer advises against it). I should be used to this crap by now, but it still bugs me. It strikes me as severly lazy (a quality I hate)-why can't the losers sculpt their own bead holder? So, if you want to annoy these creeps as much as I do, email them some hate mail, letting them know they are snatching the food from my babies mouth (feel free to be just as dramatic) www.orientaltrading.com. We would really appreciate any irritating comments in their in-box.
Well, before I get too fired up, look for Greg in Virginia this weekend, he's
doing Jane's Bead Mercantile Show. If you've never attended one of her shows, try to visit one next time they're in town, they are small, but have a good variety of vendors. We do nearly all of her shows. We have only two more shows before our season ends, then we can relax and make fun stuff. I'm hoping to take a trip (one that is pure leisure-no beads!) maybe we can find some cheap tickets to Fiji or Thailand (we found round trip tickets to Rome for 300$ once!) so we can decompress after this year of working like maniacs. Sheila will be in Burma, suffering like a monk at a retreat (and loving it), so maybe we can visit her there. Expect to see her new work at our tables in tucson! Well, I think the pizza's here, good night!