Tommy
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Post by Tommy on Apr 6, 2024 8:59:14 GMT -5
Yeah...yeah...I know...stupid choice for a theme! LOL Stop it! It was a great theme! I'm sorry if you really took my post to mean that the theme needed to be propped up. I say this with deep appreciate for everyone who participates in the contests, both entrants and discussion participants, but during covid era we all had a lot more time on our hands and the contests were averaging in the 16 to 19 entries. I knew at the time that it was likely unsustainable but I didn't expect it to drop quite this low by 2023. I've been wondering if it's time for a break in the action - maybe mix it up a bit with a yearly mega-contest like we had a while back?
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Tommy
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Member since January 2013
Posts: 12,674
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Post by Tommy on Apr 4, 2024 14:41:36 GMT -5
Well it’s entirely possible that the portal didn’t ever have mobile view! 🤣 Maybe my eyes have just gotten too bad and it just started bothering me?? 🤷♀️ I gotta find that online glasses ordering place… khara just confirming the portal page never had a mobile view. It's actually a proboards custom page that I created and it uses the forum header and footer but with a mobile view I guess it wouldn't know what to do with all the custom data in the middle. Because it's using the header and footer I had to check to see if I was remembering it right.
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Tommy
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Member since January 2013
Posts: 12,674
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Post by Tommy on Apr 4, 2024 12:37:40 GMT -5
Welcome to the Rock Tumbling Hobby Forum cabochon contest where your cabochon making skills, creativity, and material will be put to the challenge. Everyone is welcome and encouraged to enter regardless of cabochon making experience, skill level, or machinery and methods. This contest is about having fun and challenging ourselves to step outside our comfort zones and learn and grow, while dazzling the community with our beautiful rock creations.
April 2024 - RTH Cabochon Contest Contest Theme: Banded Agate, chosen by our January winner agatewhisperer. Contestants are asked to create a cabochon from fortifications/banded/lace agate, any shape, size, or color and the cabochon design should showcase banding features in the agate.
Vote for your favorite piece of lapidary art! Click to enlarge each photo |
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Prize:Again this month, the contest prize is provided by Chad from Suva Lapidary in the form of at $30 gift certificate. As always the winner can choose a free teeshirt or mug of their choice. ordered from the designs on display in the RTH Store, or we can use a custom design of their creation. Contest Format:The chosen contest theme serves as the primary criteria for voting. The voting period will occur for approximately seven days around the start of the following month. The winner of the contest will have the opportunity to choose the theme of the contest occurring two months after the contest they won (ie: Nov winner chooses Jan theme). At the beginning of the voting period, a voting poll will be added to this thread and all contest submission posts and responses will be hidden from view in order to help insure a level playing field. All original content will be replaced in the thread at the close of voting. Contest Period:The contest period starts when the new contest thread is posted, and concludes at the end of the last day of the month PST or PDT time. Voting Period:Voting occurs for approximately the first 7-10 days of the month depending on when the voting is launched. Entry Requirements:Participants are asked to follow the contest theme in the creation of a hand-shaped, jewelry-ready cabochon or set of cabochons. For the purposes of contest consistency, a cabochon should have a visible dome on top and a flat backside. Variations on dome heights and girdle styles are permitted and ultimately it's up to the voters to decide if the contest criteria has been met. Entry cabochons must be made entirely by the member, within the contest month and feel free to let us know about the piece including how you shaped and polished it, and what challenges it presented. Please identify the material if you know what it is or let us know if you don't. Alternative materials are allowed as long as they are in keeping with the theme (ie: "agate" theme = agate material), and the material is such that it requires lapidary skills to transform it into a cabochon. Cabochons may have a hole(s) drilled but nothing attached to it. Photo Requirements:Three photos minimum are required including one non-backlit, non-glamorized or filter manipulated photo showing the cabochon directly from the front (if posting more than one front photo please indicate which one you want used). Also include a photo taken at as close to 90 degrees angle as possible showing the side of the cabochon so we can see the shape of the dome and girdle if it exists. The third required photo is of the preform or slab you started from. If you do not have all three of the required photos post what you have and let us know. Photography Notes:For size perspective it is helpful to include a photo alongside an object such as a coin or fingers. Until the conclusion of the voting period please do not post on any area of the forum, photos of your contest entry that has been turned into jewelry which includes the stone after it has been set, wrapped, or had any kind of bail attached. Back-lit photos, unless specifically required by the theme, are only permitted as extra photos to illuminate interesting features that do not photograph very well. For a level playing field please include non-back lit front and side photos for use as your front featured photo requirement.Members are welcome to enter work-in-progress photos as a place holder for their entry. Final photos may be added up until the point where the entry posts are hidden from view in preparation for the voting period. If final photos are not posted the piece will not be able to be included in the voting. We don't want the competition to turn into a photo contest but also recognize that it is in your best interest to make sure your front and side photos are as focused, bright, and colorful as possible because these two photos will be cropped and presented in the voting collage. Highly zoomed-in photos are not as desirable as photos well-focused on the stone, allowing enough background top and bottom for cropping to a square 300px X 300px. Voting Criteria:Please judge each entry based on the following while keeping in mind that beauty is in the eye of the beholder and the difficulty levels of material vary as do photography skills and equipment. An exceptional example of creativity and skill might not always be flashy and bright, and we owe it to every participant to do our best not to allow it to become a photography contest. 1) How well was the challenge of the contest theme met? 2) How well did the shape of the stone meet the general contest requirements? 3) General appearance, beauty, artistic creativity. 4) Photography - is there a direct and focused front shot and a direct and focused side shot for voting purposes? If a tie vote occurs, a new voting poll will be launched for the period of one day and will include only the stones that were tied for the lead. Community participation and Conflict Resolution:In the interest of preserving contest civility and fairness, please do not post negative comments regarding another member's entry. As always on the forum, polite and respectful dialog and encouragement is welcome in the form of 'likes' and comments. Offering advice or direction about an entry, including whether or not it met the contest theme, is only welcome if the contestant has requested it. In the event of theme-related questions, the person who chose the theme has the final say. If questions arise regarding if an entry meets the general contest requirements, or the member-chosen theme requirements, these can be directed privately to staff members directly or through the use of the 'report post' feature. Thank you to everyone who participates by entering and or commenting and encouraging others. We sincerely appreciate all the comments and feedback we get and want to continue to improve the contest as we go so keep 'em coming!
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Tommy
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Member since January 2013
Posts: 12,674
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Post by Tommy on Apr 4, 2024 12:15:22 GMT -5
Not to beat a dead horse but I'm going to anyway I do know that the intentions were pure I will ALWAYS welcome another entry into the contest. That's why the default with every cabochon entered in every contest is to err on the side of inclusion and let the voters decide.
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Tommy
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Member since January 2013
Posts: 12,674
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Post by Tommy on Apr 4, 2024 11:12:50 GMT -5
I'll leave it up to you all if we leave this thread or retire it to green pastures.
Does anyone know where he was from? My spidey senses start tingling anytime someone deletes all their posts and account. It's a hot-headed tactic that a certain someone has employed at least twice now.
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Tommy
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Member since January 2013
Posts: 12,674
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Post by Tommy on Apr 4, 2024 10:12:45 GMT -5
As always, I'll let the voters decide. My thought is someone was actually trying to help a struggling contest that was about to close with FOUR entries and lately seems to be teetering on the edge.
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Tommy
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Member since January 2013
Posts: 12,674
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Post by Tommy on Apr 3, 2024 22:09:26 GMT -5
Thank you everyone, the contest is now in the hands of the voters. Thank you once again chad for generously sponsoring this contest with the gift certificate!
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Tommy
Administrator
Member since January 2013
Posts: 12,674
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Post by Tommy on Apr 1, 2024 10:24:30 GMT -5
My sister in MA was nice enough to pick out some slabs at a local rock show last weekend as a Happy Spring present for me.
I'm hoping someone can help me put names on them, besides Joe, Harry & Mary
I know the first one is a Jasper- but any idea what flavor ? Mohs 8 ?Second one I believe is Crazy Lace Agate
The third blue one also Mohs 8 ? I have no idea.
Nice slabs! I believe the first one is fancy jasper and it's related to bloodstone. Very hard stone that takes a beautiful shine.
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Tommy
Administrator
Member since January 2013
Posts: 12,674
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Post by Tommy on Mar 31, 2024 21:08:00 GMT -5
This has been going on for a little while now, maybe a week or two. I’ve been annoyed that some screens are really small and others just fine. I finally stopped and assessed it today. I mostly use my phone while on here and it seems the Portal page is stuck in desktop mode. And, the little option down at the very bottom to change between desktop and mobile is missing from that particular page. All other pages are fine, they are an appropriate mobile size and layout and have the option to change over to desktop, but Portal page no longer has this. Of course Portal page is the one I use most so. No hurry, I don’t have time to be on here a whole lot right now, but maybe it can be figured out in case others are also having the issue… TommyHi, I'll have to look into it from my computer when I get back to it in a few days. I honestly don't remember the portal page having a mobile view...
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Tommy
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Member since January 2013
Posts: 12,674
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Post by Tommy on Mar 31, 2024 21:04:41 GMT -5
Thanks Tommy I’ve had a busy month and was thinking I might just have to sit this one out. Till Wednesday might help. 👍 Got to get a work-in-progress place holder photo posted before the contest closes tonight though!
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Tommy
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Member since January 2013
Posts: 12,674
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Post by Tommy on Mar 31, 2024 10:12:55 GMT -5
*bump* Let's get 'em in!
Just FYI for everyone, I'm away from my computer until Wednesday night the 3rd so this contest will have a few days to chill.
If you are currently working on a piece and don't think you'll finish today post a placeholder photo and reserve a spot in the contest. As long as the contest photos are in by the time I start working on the contest we're good!
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Tommy
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Member since January 2013
Posts: 12,674
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Post by Tommy on Mar 29, 2024 11:17:51 GMT -5
Updated 3/29/2024 - I keep trying and trying to get the instructions even easier than they were.
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Tommy
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Member since January 2013
Posts: 12,674
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Post by Tommy on Mar 28, 2024 21:03:10 GMT -5
Very nice! Love that shine
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Tommy
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Member since January 2013
Posts: 12,674
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Post by Tommy on Mar 28, 2024 12:13:55 GMT -5
kate_foundlings hope you have a good day and get to play with rocks at some point.
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Tommy
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Member since January 2013
Posts: 12,674
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Post by Tommy on Mar 27, 2024 11:06:55 GMT -5
I'm new here and would like to know how to use sugar in a rotary tumbler? How much water, grit, and sugar. Thank you so much. Welcome from Napa! As others said this is the introductions area and many of our most experienced rock tumblers might not see your question here.
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Tommy
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Member since January 2013
Posts: 12,674
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Post by Tommy on Mar 27, 2024 10:16:43 GMT -5
Happy Birthday Mel! Hope you have a bright shiny day
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Tommy
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Member since January 2013
Posts: 12,674
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Post by Tommy on Mar 27, 2024 10:09:29 GMT -5
Hi I’m Brad. From central Virginia . Have been rock tumbling for about 2 months. Planning a summer cross country road trip and hope yo get some nice rocks along the way. Recommendations appreciated and if you tell me about a good spot scouts honor I’ll keep it to myself and never tell a soul 🙋♂️. Thanks and nice to meet everyone. Welcome from Napa CA. As others have said we wouldn't even know where to begin without knowing your route etc. While not knowing anything about you, what I would strongly recommend for someone new at rockhounding in the wild is pick up either the (tagged Amazon links follow) [a href="[blocked Amazon short link]3xdEVLO"]Rockhounding[/a] or [a href="[blocked Amazon short link]4cK2k82"]Gemtrails[/a] guide books specific to an area that you want to explore. YES, every location published in the books are potentially hard hit they are a grat way to start because they will get you into areas that do produce lapidary type rocks. If your main focus is tumbling you can almost always find great rocks to tumble.
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Tommy
Administrator
Member since January 2013
Posts: 12,674
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Post by Tommy on Mar 25, 2024 23:12:35 GMT -5
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Tommy
Administrator
Member since January 2013
Posts: 12,674
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Post by Tommy on Mar 25, 2024 13:22:54 GMT -5
Tommy To be fair you did say "a period of time" before you put that poll together. I remember this thread well because it was shortly after I joined RTH and I think about it from time to time Alright, I'm working on it finally - better late than never Not sure exact what to do with the data but I have every entry up until this point entered in a spreadsheet. It's going to take a while to clean it all up and sort it and create something interesting out of it. Anyone who hasn't jumped in please continue to do so! There is no expiration date on it.
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Tommy
Administrator
Member since January 2013
Posts: 12,674
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Post by Tommy on Mar 25, 2024 13:17:45 GMT -5
For a couple of years I only owned 2 DVDs, The Meaning of Life and Search for the Holy Grail. Yep, anything by Monty Python. And nearly anything with or by Clint Eastwood: Play misty for Me, the Dirty Harry series, Unforgiven, The Outlaw Josey Wales, the whole schmear. Unforgiven almost made my five but since everyone else is going over then I'm adding it Such an incredible movie...gritty and real compared to classic westerns. The Outlaw Josey Wales being added too - I've probably seen it ten times.
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