Stone Sculpture Projects Options

[jim]

Thats a great idea denise. Your so resorseful.

[faaus]

I'm constantly amazed at the creativity, beauty and craftsmanship of all of the pieces you and Dan make Denise! You folks are the BEST!

I have missed chatting with you folks and Jim, GAT, Scottiniski, Big Cats, and all the rest of you good people. I hope to reconnect with all of you real soon.

Heavy Pans,
faaus

[Denise]

Thanks for the compliments!
I actually found myself with a piece of Opal starting to make a headset for the bear.

Wait I thought! I was trying to move twards bigger projects?....hehe
How about a hole in his back for a stick pin? Even better, I think Im just going to leave it like it is, and let the
new owner decide if it needs anything else.
In fact, were going to be giving it away for "Rockin' For Mining!". If interested, you might want to pay attention to that thread for more details.

[mystic mining]

Hi Denise
The mushroom you made is a great peice, will post pics next month of it and all the finds from Az.

[Denise]

Glad your trip is going well Sean, cant wait to hear the details of the digs and the finds!

Glad you like the mushroom, It was one of my first.
Im still learning the art of stone sculpting, but its getting better after every piece I sculpt.
I started an Amazonite bird (palm sized), but while working it I hit a fractured spot that slowed me down.
Im going to try to stabelize it before I continue, then see how it goes.

[Denise]

The bird is doing good now. Stabelizing it sure helped! Here is a picture of it in the works.
Still a very long way to go before done, but you get the idea.



Im also working on a Fire Agate bunny. Hes cleaning his paw.

Very small, but I think it will turn out great when its all done. Still alot of work to do yet.
Here are a few pics of the work in progress. Maybe with more interest, I will show more of the sculpting process.

[nm jack]

Wow, that's really cool!!

[CP]

Neat projects honey, and thank goodness there ain't no epoxy planned for these little buggars either.

Several of these projects have already found new homes shortly after completion. We are happy to announce, now we've got a new section in the Miners Market for Stone Sculptures.
So far the fire agate bee and the sowbelly agate butterfly have been listed. Hopefully some of the new projects posted here will make it to the market too, so keep your eyes open for the updates on completions, they tend to go rather quickly when finished.

CP

[Denise]

Thanks for the compliments guys!

Hopefully some of the new projects posted here will make it to the market too, so keep your eyes open for the updates on completions, they tend to go rather quickly when finished.

I really like the little bunny cleaning its paw. It was a perfect piece to make him out of.
Hopefully he will make it to the Miners Market and not into my collection.

[Denise]

Here is a cabochon I finished, but then decided to work it more.
I was thinking it would look good carved into a flower, with a flashy white Opal for the center.
I got as far as this, and was wondering If I should just stop, and set the Opal in like it is.
Should I keep working it, or call this piece done? Sure looks nice as is.

[jim]

Decisions, decisions.. It would make a beautiful flower. Then again finished like it is now would be a great centerpiece for a piece of jewelry. Decisions decisions.

[Denise]

I have toyed and experimented with a piece of man made goldstone. It was a perfect piece to practice on.
I have found that sculpting or carving has been the easy part for me. Its polishing out the pieces that I think is difficult.
I tried experimenting with tumbeling this piece out, but wasnt a good plan. The piece got stuck at the bottom of the tumbler, and it wore away all the lighter carving work I did on the backside. I felt like throwing it out the door when i saw it, but Dan wouldnt let me.

When people see it in hand, they think it looks great. Guess Im just my worst critic.
Im going to finish it out then decide what to do with it.
Here is a picture of it, with a flashy Orange Opal for the center piece.

[Denise]

You would hate watching this one being worked Jim.
Solid fire agate! But to get the shape Im looking for, I have to grind away some fire. The fire follows its body perfectly though!
This piece is a little over an inch long with lots of work to be done to it still. Its going to be a Salamander......
Hopefully. Theres another picture of it above with the Amazonite bird.



I know........My fire Agate pictures stink!

[jim]

LOL Denise. What you need to do is practice. Someone told me (more than once) practice practice practice.
You really got your work cut out for you with that piece. It's rouuugh. Have fun.

[Denise]

lol Jim. I think I may have said that a time or two. It only took me about 20 pictures to get that one.

You think that piece is rough now, you should have seen it when I started! None of this carving/sculpting would be possible for me if it wasnt for the drip system Dan made me, and the diamond burr bits I use. That thing works great! Free plans for making your own drip pan station are on the Plans and Tips page of the website here. I can even drill holes without having to drill under water now. No rock dust problems at all.