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Post by kk on Feb 6, 2013 20:45:58 GMT -5
Hi there. Finally back at the wheels and we got Chinese New Year holidays coming up, so there will be more time for carving. The new year will be the year of the snake, so there are certainly some of those waiting to be done. But for now, I'm more into butterflies. First one up, and nearly done is the simplest one; a single piece of Indonesian coral. Should have a final picture before the weekend.  Then the one I'm working on right now, Guatemalan Jadeite, light purple in color and depending on the light-source and angle ever so light pink with a few small white streaks. Comes from close to the rind and has rather large crystal-formations, so the stone is certainly not perfect and flaking or extending existing fractures is a possibility at any time. Usually, when we talk about jade, we think of it as this though material, but that thing can actually be quite fragile.  Here is the idea  And some progress yesterday, after re-drawing at about 20% smaller size to avoid the obvious fractures seen above.  That one will get a Fire Agate body for contrast. Up next, to increase the challenge a bit, will be an agate/jade mix yet still a bit smaller. But |
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Post by orrum on Feb 6, 2013 21:08:59 GMT -5
Fire agate will be wild KK!
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jason12x12
freely admits to licking rocks
Member since October 2011
Posts: 798
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Post by jason12x12 on Feb 7, 2013 2:32:09 GMT -5
love the coral
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Post by FrogAndBearCreations on Feb 7, 2013 8:51:46 GMT -5
Those are great!
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Post by drocknut on Feb 7, 2013 10:50:52 GMT -5
Beautiful butterflies. Those are great. Looks like you do a lot of detail in them and I am impressed.
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Post by kk on Feb 7, 2013 11:08:23 GMT -5
Thanks everyone, but except for the coral, they are far from finished. Beautiful butterflies. Those are great. Looks like you do a lot of detail in them and I am impressed. Actually, those two are pretty much like paint by numbers. Once you got the drawing on the stone, its fairly easy as long as the stone does not crumble in your hands. Those two are just practice for the one that I'm still planing, and that will be the challenge that I set myself for this extended holiday. It will be entirely freehand and the body will be carved too. Here is finally a picture of the finished Coral  I envision that one to be set by someone who can create a silver body with a bail. The jadeite holds out well thus far and allows more light through as I slowly remove more material from the back. But the fractures are still there, so its not sure yet if I will see it finished.  As you can see, I broke the Fire Agate in the last stage of sanding. So now I got to find another. That FA was such a nice fit (color and size) that nothing else will do. |
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rockingthenorth
fully equipped rock polisher
Member since January 2012
Posts: 1,637
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Post by rockingthenorth on Feb 7, 2013 12:13:36 GMT -5
nice butterflies kk they are both great you do an awesome job on carving, sorry the FA broke. hope you find a piece that will work.
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adrian65
Cave Dweller 
Arch to golden memories and to great friends.
Member since February 2007
Posts: 10,790
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Post by adrian65 on Feb 7, 2013 13:10:53 GMT -5
That fossil coral was for me a real jaw dropper. Literally.
Such a natural shape, clean carving lines and the stone's pattern resembles so much to the butterflies' wings.
Adrian
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Post by Toad on Feb 7, 2013 22:39:22 GMT -5
So far so great
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Dora
spending too much on rocks
Member since September 2012
Posts: 252
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Post by Dora on Feb 8, 2013 0:01:30 GMT -5
Gorgeous butterflies!!!
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Post by helens on Feb 9, 2013 0:31:23 GMT -5
Beautiful coral!!!!
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Post by susand24224 on Feb 11, 2013 23:03:44 GMT -5
What beautiful little creatures they are--half nature, half fantasy.
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Post by kk on Feb 13, 2013 20:38:03 GMT -5
Been quiet this week as I'm getting ready to complete my holiday-project. As said before I was targeting 3 butterflies and the first two where practice to get a feel for form and material. The third butterfly is coming along well, but I would like to keep that one under wraps until ready to wear. To practice a little more, I will attempt to create 3 bodies. I broke one Fire Agate, so a new one is needed, and just in case I break the Jade-sprite for the last butterfly, I'm working on two, and lets see which works best. If both of them work out, the second one fits for the coral one too. So can't have too many. Here is what I started yesterday:  |
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Post by krazydiamond on Feb 13, 2013 20:49:20 GMT -5
you are so talented, kk.
KD
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Post by FrogAndBearCreations on Feb 14, 2013 9:25:04 GMT -5
Your doing great with them! I use an optivisor too and it lets me see what I need to work on. I have three strengths the last one is about 6 inches range which I bought for scrimshaw but works for inspecting and fine detail work. That is were I need to really focus on I marvel at some of the beautifully detailed carvings that are out there. |
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Post by kk on Feb 15, 2013 7:47:42 GMT -5
you are so talented, kk. KD Not at all KD. I just try to realize some of the things that come to mind and having had some practice leaves me between a rock and a hard place for now. Due to the practice I had, a lot of people seem shy to talk to me, yet I'm still extremely far away from being worth talking to by artists who excel in their mediums. So, talent or not; its a bit lonely. But......., day three on the sprites and it turns out, I got a lot more than I bargained for. Glad I tried though, So far both hold up well and are fully cut. Now its on to sanding and then back to corrections. Those two challenge everything I thought I knew. I thought I knew what a light touch means. Not so, apparently! Wearing Jeweler-visor for the first time and seeing the fine mist coming off the stone with the lightest of touches and hence reshaping everything, makes me for the first time really appreciate the skill and work the Cameo-guys put into their pieces. Also, after grinding for hours on points, nothing really seems to have changed. It's a really frustrating business. The biggest problem I have encountered thus far on those pieces is placing foot in the back and breast. Still have to figure out how to do it better on the stronger build one. at 8.8 ct, 25 (head to toe just a hear over an inch) x 10 (elbow to elbow) x 3 (thickness at feet) mm  I think the adjustment to the breast has to come from the top right-hand side downwards. at 7ct, 26 x 4 (shoulder and hips) x 2 mm ( thickness at feet will come down to approx 1 mm when done)  |
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Deleted
Deleted Member
Member since January 1970
Posts: 0
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Post by Deleted on Feb 15, 2013 9:38:17 GMT -5
Don't sell your self short. You may not be the best in the world but you keep practicing and turning out some amazing pieces. I see you to be just a step or two from the top of the stairs. Love your work.
Jim
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Post by Pat on Feb 15, 2013 16:35:05 GMT -5
I like how the finished coral butterfly stone mimics the butterfly wings. Good choice for that stone!
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Post by kk on Feb 18, 2013 10:48:11 GMT -5
Two weeks of holiday and talking coming to an end. Coral: remains unfinished as my priority was butterfly number 3 Mock up, to be finished in next few weeks.  The Jade butterfly did not fare much better as I managed to break one FA and turned out 3 cabs instead as they are too big, I don't like the shape or color and/or am not willing to cut them smaller. But,.... at least its weareable  Finished all round and drilled holes from the side. On request of my daughter we fixed it up in a cross-pattern and its worn as of the last few hours.  I'm happy that she choose it, so I know it will be appreciated even without the FA (despite of her face in the picture chuckle02 Looks like my time to have a willing victim for pictures is over saved12) . Will still be on the lookout for a FA to fit as body. As for number 3: lets start at the beginning again: Guatemalan Jadeite From the start To the sanding and polishing stages  Then on to the wings. A big thank you has to go out at this point to Helen, who has send me this fantastic material as an extra last year. I belief it to be Black Plume Agate. I definitely will be looking for more of this. I works great and has an indoor look of glassy jet. Takes contours and holds edges fantabolously. From the start but some stages are missing, embedded in my camera and not retrievable at the moment.  To the finishing stage  Now, lets set up a mock-up (if you look at the top ridge down on the right upper wing, you can see the freckled edge, which shows the agate content)   Here, I encountered something rather strange. My camera went haywire. Usually I get those white-outs only when using flash and someone wears crystal beads. This time it happened when the sun hit the piece directly. It seems that jade throws all the light right back at the camera. Both pictures are taken outdoor; the only difference is the sun coming into play.  Now, for a change, I did not want to just glue them together. So I used a core drill and drilled wings and sprite, and in absence of anything better at hand; cut the core-drill to be used as the connector between the pieces.  With addition of a little epoxy and the silver on the left, shaped into a bail, its ready for wearing. Here with my usual victim.  As luck would have it, my daughter was bored and went to a gardening center nearby to look for a friend. She did not find her, but as she returned, she held a pot of plants in her hands. The ideal background to showcase the pendant. hugs23 to her, she earned her Jadeite Butterfly with that. ura12   Have a great week everyone and thanks for looking. As always, now more than ever, suggestions/critiques helping improvement in the future, are as always highly welcome. Kurt |
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Post by FrogAndBearCreations on Feb 18, 2013 11:01:30 GMT -5
Great job! they look great |
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