....batch of 65 new cabochons

Time flies and no blogging has occurred.  Carol and I went through a rock lull period.  Oh the collecting never stopped (some would say hoarding) and Carol did a few custom orders and I did a few cabs, but not in the quantities we used to do.  It seems like the lull has been good for defining ourselves and what Pocket Rock Designs is about.  We decided that it is all about being eclectic and no one rock or piece of jewelry is ever the same as another.  It helps to have a vision.  Etsy sales have been good.

As for me, I have a hard time doing calibrated ovals all the time and find that the natural cracks and contours of the rock usually lead to the final free form shape.  We have branched off to include some new materials, including blue apatite crystals, rainbow moonstone, and 1 1/2 pounds of lapis lazuli.  The Lapis is gorgeous and I will post a before and after pic as soon as possible.  Expect to see some banded, agatized, fossilized dinosaur crap on here too.  I hope to be blogging every other day for now.  Besides reaching out, I think it is a great way to chronicle our journey.



Cab King cabochon machine with 6" diamond wheels!  Oh the Joy and Rapture! MEOW!

Carol has stocked up on beads, metal, a Foredom flex shaft, and items needed to make rings.  She is so creative and I can hardly wait until she gets some time to bezel, solder, and have a great time.  Last fall we invested in a Cab King for grinding and polishing.  Now that I seem to have finessed the finer points of operation, I have just completed a batch of 65 new cabochons which we will be posting to Etsy soon.  Having good equipment really makes the difference in quality.  Expect Operation "Stock up for the Northfield Artist's Walk Shows" to ramp up shortly.  I will try to get some photos on the blog, so stop in frequently.

What's in the Lot O' Tumbler now?
Lake Superior Agates 1 to 2"
Tiger Eye preforms
One fantastic piece of Binghamite
Snow Flake and Black Obsidian just to see how it goes

Here is a representative picture of some of the Lapis we bought: