*~FINISHED~* Cabochon Challenge Feb 2021 Theme Earth and Sky

Welcome to the February 2021, RTH Cabochon Challenge contest! Everyone is welcome and encouraged to enter the contest regardless of experience or skill level. This contest continues to be just about having fun and challenging ourselves to step outside our comfort zones and learn and grow, while dazzling with our beautiful rock creations. Each month's contest is contained in a single challenge thread and has a theme that serves as the primary criteria for voting. The voting period will consistently occur the first seven days of the following month and the winner has the opportunity to choose the theme for the contest occurring two months after the contest they won (ie: February winner chooses April theme). During the voting period, all contest submission posts and responses will be removed from view in order to help level the playing field. All original content will be replaced in the thread at the close of voting.

---

February 2021 RTH Cabochon Challenge


Contest Theme: "Earth and Sky" chosen by December contest winner oldschoolrocker . Contestants are asked to follow contest guidelines and create a cabochon of any material, including but not limited to landscape/picture materials, where the finished piece shows a clear distinction between earth and sky, thus creating scenery. As always, anyone who has no suitable material to work with can contact me via private message and I'll help get them a few pieces to work with.

---

Links to all of the original front and side submission photos can be found below the photo collage.

All of the original contest submission posts and responses have been removed from view during the voting period in order to remove as much of the popularity contest aspect from the voting as possible. All original content will be replaced in this thread at the close of voting. We sincerely appreciate all the feedback comments we get and want to continue to improve the contest as we go so keep 'em coming!



Photo Links:
Cabochon 1 - front
Cabochon 1 - side

Cabochon 2 - front
Cabochon 2 - side

Cabochon 3 - front
Cabochon 3 - side

Cabochon 4 - front
Cabochon 4 - side

Cabochon 5 - front
Cabochon 5 - side

Cabochon 6 - front
Cabochon 6 - side

Cabochon 7 - front
Cabochon 7 - side

Cabochon 8 - front
Cabochon 8 - side

Cabochon 9 - front
Cabochon 9 - side

Cabochon 10 - front
Cabochon 10 - side

Cabochon 11 - front
Cabochon 11 - side

Cabochon 12 - front
Cabochon 12 - side

Cabochon 13 - front
Cabochon 13 - side

Cabochon 14 - front
Cabochon 14 - side

---

Contest Period:
February 3rd thru February 28th at 11:59pm PST


Voting Period:
March 1st thru 7th (seven days)


Prize:
Winner will receive a teeshirt, mug, mask, or RTH sticker pack of their choice from the RTH Store. If anyone ever wants to sponsor this or any contest with a prize box of rocks etc. please let me know.


Entry Requirements:
Participants may enter one hand-shaped, jewelry ready rock cabochon, consisting of 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 what meets their expectation of a cabochon. 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. Cabochon may have a hole drilled but nothing attached to it.


Photo Requirements:
Please post between three to five photos including one front shot of the finished cabochon, a side shot showing the shape and dome, and a photo of the preform slab. For voting purposes the front photo will be cropped to around 200 pixel for the voting photo collage so it's in your favor to make this one as bright, focused and zoomed in as possible. For size perspective it is helpful to include a photo alongside an object such as a coin or fingers. If you don't have all of the required photos, post what you have and let us know that's all we're getting.

Please no jewelry photos which include the stone after it has been set, wrapped, or had any kind of bail attached. Also, please don't post "glamour" shots that have been clearly manipulated in a photo editor, faded backgrounds, enhanced colors, filters, etc. Back lighting photos are permitted in your extra photos but should not be used as your front featured photo.


Voting Criteria:
Please judge each entry based on the following.
1) How well was the challenge of the contest theme met?
2) How well did the stone meet the contest requirements of a flat back, domed top cabochon?
3) General appearance - keeping in mind that beauty is in the eye of the beholder and many materials are difficult to work with and an exceptional creation might not be flashy and bright.

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:
As always on the forum, polite and respectful dialog and encouragement is very welcome in the form of 'likes' and comments. Advice or direction from the community is welcome only if the contestant has requested it. Members are welcome to enter work-in-progress photos but if the final photos are not added before the conclusion of the contest, the piece can't be included in the voting.

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!