joanna
spending too much on rocks
Member since November 2004
Posts: 385
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Post by joanna on Sept 14, 2005 5:01:29 GMT -5
Okay, the box covers on the left are the type that I've been doing for years...groan.. they can be tedious after a while if I don't come across some different woods to inlay into the covers (use to make around 150 each year, until I bumped the price up a bit, now I'm at a bearable 50 - 60.) There's no dyes or stains used, all woods are natural in their colors. The boxes covers on the right I've been experimenting with some Laker slabs (plus another I don't know slabs, the butterfly). It was a nice change of place, hope I don't see them in my inventory next year, it'll mean they didn't sell and it will be back to the drawing board. I didn't use my really unique box covers just in case the idea is a bust. Oh, and I only did about 5 just in case their not movers Their not buffed yet and the box portion needs to be flocked for it's lining. The covers are about 4 - 41/2 inches.  (the woods for the covers ar Red Elm, Russian Olive, Siberian Elm Burl, Red Gum, and Sassafrass. The butterflies are Aromatic Cedar, and Spalted Box Elder. The flower is Birds eye Maple, tulip poplar and walnut. I like using a laquer finish since I'm familiar with it's properties the most and it's easiest to work out any little flaws). The butterfly body on both is walnut inlay into the cover. The stones are not inlayed but just glued on. Not sure if I'm totally happy with that, but I'd have to use some very thick and uniformed edges to inlay them into the box. When I got done I thought to myself "boy that's fast just to stick them on the cover like that" Then I realized what's so fast about slabing them and polishing them. Thanks for looking. I hope my wood buying customers don't rebel at my attempt at mixing rocks in. |
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stefan
Cave Dweller 
Member since January 2005
Posts: 14,113
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Post by stefan on Sept 14, 2005 7:55:24 GMT -5
How much and where can we order? Incredible!
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Rose
Cave Dweller
Member since November 2004
Posts: 875
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Post by Rose on Sept 14, 2005 9:10:02 GMT -5
Those are lovely Joanna !  |
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Post by hermatite on Sept 14, 2005 9:22:44 GMT -5
heck I'd buy one! Those are great.
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Post by rockyraccoon on Sept 14, 2005 9:30:15 GMT -5
joanna those are great! are all the ones on the left wood and the ones on the right slabs? i like the wood and rock mixture.
i recently told cher i had a pair of slabs that i had cut that look just like a moths wing. i'm still thinking how to make it a rock moth. i've seen them framed in a shadow box and glued somehow on a rock base. but i'm miles from that project lol.
kim
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Post by gaetzchamp on Sept 14, 2005 11:24:30 GMT -5
Hey, those are really, really neat. I wasn't going to open this thread, but am glad I did.
You are very talented!!!!
Gaetz
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Post by Alice on Sept 14, 2005 11:30:43 GMT -5
Thise are GREAT!
I especially like the red butterfly
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Post by xenaswolf on Sept 14, 2005 11:46:02 GMT -5
Wow you are multi talented. Do you make the boxes too? I'm facinated by wooden boxes and would have them everywhere if I had room!
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yeahda1
starting to spend too much on rocks
Member since August 2005
Posts: 201
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Post by yeahda1 on Sept 14, 2005 11:50:41 GMT -5
great work love the agate
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phoenix1647
starting to spend too much on rocks
Member since March 2013
Posts: 186
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Post by phoenix1647 on Sept 14, 2005 13:32:06 GMT -5
Being a woodworker myself..I like it!!!!! The shaped rocks give the lids some class.....
Pho
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Post by krazydiamond on Sept 14, 2005 14:30:29 GMT -5
i hope Mark sees this, he's a woodworker too! great idea with the flowers and moths in rocks! i wish i knew how to do wood now!!!
do you make the boxes to go with the tops?
KD
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joanna
spending too much on rocks
Member since November 2004
Posts: 385
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Post by joanna on Sept 14, 2005 15:19:27 GMT -5
I make them right from scratch, starting with the rough sawn wood from my husband's sawmill (after it's dried down). The only woods I buy are a bit of mahogany and even a smaller bit of ziricote$$ (not used in the picture above). Otherwise, it all starts out from various logs my husband comes across.
Still have a few more ideas on incorporating rocks on the cover designs. If they don't look too bad I'll try to remember to get pictures.
Some day I'd like to mix it into my intarsia wall hangings, which are my main bread and butter items. Just need some time for experimenting, something I'm a bit short on right now. I just haven't gotten past the idea of using rocks in the picture as just rocks. (an example: a fish with rocks used at the base for the rocks on the bottom of a stream.) Oh well, someday I wake up with an idea.
Kim, your right the ones on the left are totally of wood and the ones on the right are a wood/stone mix.
KD, the picture is taken looking straight down on the boxes so the bottoms don't show, but there there.
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joanna
spending too much on rocks
Member since November 2004
Posts: 385
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Post by joanna on Sept 14, 2005 15:38:59 GMT -5
Funny just looking down the list on where people are from and where my husband has picked up stray logs from:
Washington - we got some amazing old growth Western Red Cedar. A sliced cross section that we made into our dining table that is around 800 years old.
Texas - Some smaller boards of Mesquite wood that been selling like hotcakes in anything I put it in.
Utah - A little bit of what my husband said is called Mountian Mahogany, Hard! Hard! Hard!
Michigan - The best Birds Eye Maple/Hard Maple I've worked with.
Minnesota - Probably about 80% of my wood comes from there.
North East - Sorry nothing from your area. Husband hasn't worked up that way.
South East - Such a big list I can't remember them all.
Walnut, White oak, Tulip Poplar, Aromatic Cedar to name a few.
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Post by krazydiamond on Sept 14, 2005 16:02:32 GMT -5
Oh! please show us your "bread and butter" intarsia photos!! this is a craft that has always fascinated me!!!! i want to see the dining room table as well!!!
MORE PHOTOS, you talented girl, you!!
KD
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Post by Cher on Sept 14, 2005 16:30:51 GMT -5
Those are really pretty, very nice job on them.
Cher
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Post by xenaswolf on Sept 14, 2005 17:15:37 GMT -5
Surely you have a website where we can purchase some of these! If not, girlfriend get busy Have you ever done flat stones like and inlay in the lid...what comes to mind is like one of those slider puzzles |
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Debs
fully equipped rock polisher
Member since February 2005
Posts: 1,252
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Post by Debs on Sept 14, 2005 17:29:43 GMT -5
Those are really cool! Beautiful job! You are really gifted. Lets see more pics please. Do you use templates to cut out the shapes or freeforms? I've seen something like this where they had a picture of a dinasour. Made pieces out of it for templates and cut the stones. It turned out really beautiful with the jasper that was used. Thanks for sharing this inspiration with all of us!!!
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Post by stoner on Sept 14, 2005 22:14:50 GMT -5
Very cool Joanna. I'm still trying to come up with a plan to inlay the stones into wood also. If you come up with something, let me know and if I do, I'll let you know too. But they look great as overlays too. Hope you have success with them.
Ed
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Post by creativeminded on Sept 15, 2005 9:00:56 GMT -5
Those are beautiful, what a great idea.
Tami
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joanna
spending too much on rocks
Member since November 2004
Posts: 385
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Post by joanna on Sept 16, 2005 5:57:38 GMT -5
I had a website ages ago, before everyone and their Grandmother were on line. Seems like the orders would come in whenever I was swamped with area orders. It also seemed like shortly after I'd get certain items on line I'd want to change them with a new and better projects. I think I'd be on line updating things as often as I'm in the shop.
I keep getting asked about a website but don't seem to have enough hours in the day to get one going. I would come in handy for the slower winter months, the rest of the year I have a hard time keeping my inventory up. I have 2 very busy stores I do consignment through and 2 other stores I wholesale too and in the fall I like to hit the shows up. I'm so NOT a fan of shows but you can't beat them for the feed back (and Christmas Shoppers).
Deb, template shape/ freeform? Your talking about the rocks right? Right now I'm letting the rock shape dictate what I can do with them (freeform?).
Seems like most of my better pictures are on my darn lap top, which the screen has been trying to die. Some day I need to get in and get them out of there. Whenever I turn it on I have a limited time before the screen flickers out on me.
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