NDK
Cave Dweller
Member since January 2009
Posts: 9,440
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Post by NDK on Oct 16, 2009 11:33:30 GMT -5
I know it's a made up hallmark holiday, but what the heck, I decided to make my ladies some earrings for Sweetest Day. These cabs were TINY! I did the final shaping by hand so I didn't grind them down to nothing. For Abby I used a beautiful piece of what I believe to be tiger iron I got from Shannon. For Emily I used the labradorite I bought a few weeks ago. And yes, that's a toothpick they're resting on LOL! For Jennifer my beautiful wife I made a pair of simple but elegant local black granite earrings. I originally planned on attempting to facet these by hand, but after messing the first one up decided a dome was going to have to suffice. These are much larger at 1/2" across. Happy Sweetest Day to y'all - Boycott the card store and rock your loved ones! Nate
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Post by Toad on Oct 16, 2009 11:36:03 GMT -5
Cool idea. The first pic is kind of hard to see, but all 3 sets look good.
Fortunately, I talked my wife out of observing sweetest day. I'm on the hook for all the rest though.
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Post by Bejewelme on Oct 16, 2009 11:59:51 GMT -5
Nate: Ohhh now Tony will be in trouble if he doesn't remember!!!!! A little hint with earrings, if you glue them togther back to back to shape they will be uniform and then double dome them! I think they look great! What a super hubby and Daddy!!!! Lucky girls!!!
Amber
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NDK
Cave Dweller
Member since January 2009
Posts: 9,440
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Post by NDK on Oct 16, 2009 12:08:16 GMT -5
Yeah the photo's not the best, but that was the only one that looked good enough out of about 30 I took. My main concern was getting the color in the lab to show up.
Thanks Amber, thanks for the shaping tip too. I never would have thought of that for uniform shape.
Nate
P.S. I'd like to publicly appologize to everyone that gets in hot water for me mentioning this wanabe holiday a day early! :nono: ;D
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highplainsdrifter
fully equipped rock polisher
Member since December 2008
Posts: 1,266
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Post by highplainsdrifter on Oct 16, 2009 13:55:45 GMT -5
Very nice. Those small ones gotta be hard. I don't think I'd have any fingernails left.
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SteveHolmes
fully equipped rock polisher
Member since July 2009
Posts: 1,900
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Post by SteveHolmes on Oct 16, 2009 21:37:19 GMT -5
I am terrible at small cabs like those. You did a fantastic job Nate! Those are better than any crummy card and they come right from your heart! I'll bet they'll be LOVED! Nice Job. Steve
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adrian65
Cave Dweller
Arch to golden memories and to great friends.
Member since February 2007
Posts: 10,777
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Post by adrian65 on Oct 16, 2009 22:27:55 GMT -5
Beautiful work and cabs, very precise work on such small cabs!
Adrian
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NDK
Cave Dweller
Member since January 2009
Posts: 9,440
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Post by NDK on Oct 16, 2009 22:47:00 GMT -5
Thank you Dan, Steve, and Adrian.
I had these glued/dopped on 3/16" dowels, and I still managed to grind away plenty of fingernail! I don't even know it until later when I hook what's left on my shirt or something lol.
Hopefully my wife and daughters keep these forever and think of me when they look at them.
Nate
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bouldergal
freely admits to licking rocks
Glacier Meadow
Member since July 2007
Posts: 783
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Post by bouldergal on Oct 16, 2009 23:00:58 GMT -5
Really lovely. Those are sweeter than sweet - and all your "ladies" will be thrilled. Susan
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NDK
Cave Dweller
Member since January 2009
Posts: 9,440
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Post by NDK on Oct 17, 2009 21:23:09 GMT -5
Thanks Susan. They were thrilled! We went to my in-laws this morning, and grandma and grandpa loved them all. They said Emily's looked like opal to them with all the color flash going on. I guess I got the orientation correct! ;D Nate
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Post by Tony W on Oct 17, 2009 22:00:02 GMT -5
That is a great job on some amazingly small cabs. Impressivel! Ok, now lets see you wrap them T
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Post by frane on Oct 18, 2009 7:43:08 GMT -5
What a magnificent batch of cabs! Those are beautiful and oh, so tiny! Are you going to glue the backings on or wrap them? Fran
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NDK
Cave Dweller
Member since January 2009
Posts: 9,440
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Post by NDK on Oct 18, 2009 20:37:22 GMT -5
OMG, I would never attempt to wrap these! I can barely hold them LOL. I just epoxied on the backings.
Tony and Fran, thank you for your kind words.
Nate
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Post by Tonyterner on Oct 19, 2009 7:29:52 GMT -5
Nice work Nate. I like working small too and have made many cabs that size. They are a challenge but apparently not to you.
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Post by texaswoodie on Oct 19, 2009 8:06:23 GMT -5
Great looking earrings!
Curt
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NDK
Cave Dweller
Member since January 2009
Posts: 9,440
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Post by NDK on Oct 19, 2009 18:33:25 GMT -5
Thanks Tony and Curt. Believe me, they were a challenge. I actually made 4 of the tiger eye cabs to get 2 good ones. Then my polisher chucked a lab one and I thought I'd never see it again. Luckily it bounced and landed by my foot. That's why I didn't get my wife's faceted. I ran out of time from redoing the others. Nate
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Post by montanamuskrat on Oct 20, 2009 0:34:10 GMT -5
My sweetie said YES I LIKE THEM - so I told her to write you Debby and Tom
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