Found a cave on our property.. neat rocks

Oh shoot! I forgot to mention this yesterday when I was writing.

When Rob and I were clearing some of the yard? We found something really neat nestled in the side of a small hill on the eastern corner of the property. It was buried until a pile of busted wood, branches and piles and piles of old leaves.... but... after some careful removal? We found the opening of something really interesting!

A cave! Or at least something "like" a cave! There was snow in the hole around the opening just before Rob left to go back to work out of town, so I promised that I would not go poking around there without him home. We're not sure if there is a hole in front of the cave/hole opening or not since it's still all covered with "stuff".

But I did manage to get a few pictures! There are some really neat pink rocks that are filled with Garnets and Mica just outside of the hole that were buried under the grass. The rock in the photograph shows how weathered it is, but the pink is shining through. When I peeked inside of the tiny opening that is not covered with fallen stuff? I could see more pink rock with sparkling quartz and mica. It looks as if the hole might have been blocked off and it might not go any deeper into the side of the hill, but I wont know for another week (oh the waiting is awful!)..

I'll keep you posted with pictures once I get to investigate more.

Wicked Stones on Twitter - Something free maybe?

Good morning all!

I thought I'd post this link to our Wicked Stones Twitter Page. Recently I've started using Twitter and it's kind of fun to post quick updates on what's going on in our workshop, studio and even the occasional ramblings of a caffeine deprived woman (LOL!).

I think I might be posting something kind of cool there by the end of the week (May 1)... something... interesting... something that's simply MAD and crazy involving free things from our website...

Check it out if you'd like.

Inukshuk tuturial gone missing

For anyone who has been bouncing back to our Blog to view the free tutorial on how to make your own gemstone Inukshuk? I do apologize..

Rob (my partner) had a chat with me on his last trip home and asked me to remove the link to the page. He has some new ideas he wants to try out and wanted to use some of the stones that he'd previously used for the Inukshuks. It's been interesting, watching him boil the gemstones in a vat in the Rock Lab and turn these little statues into something else. (Yes, you read that right, he's boiling stones and not for "stone soup". :-)

E600 is a very strong glue and even with the boiling? It's still going to take some serious grinding to get some of the residue off the gemstones before he can move forward.

He's bought himself a grinder and he's been learning how to make some really pretty cabs and sculpted gemstone pieces.

So what's next?

I'm trying to twist his arm to let me pick out a rock saw and a few other tools.

I'm such a bad influence :-)

Sunshine! At last

Finally! We have sunshine and the snow around the studio is starting to melt away! I can hardly believe that it's almost the end of April and there are still soft blankets of white snow behind our sheds and in the forest out back. 

We started last week to muck the back of the yard out - for anyone wondering? The term "yard" is used loosely! *I'm laughing away here*.. A rake just does not do the trick and heavy equipment should be used in this case. 

There is an area several hundred feet square that we're cleaning right now and it's full of old branches, leaves, grass clippings and other "mysterious" items we keep finding in the pile. Our neighbor came over and told us about a huge fire that the second previous owner had in the pile.. so really, I'm not looking forward to what's at the bottom! 

But it's something we need to do as this area is simply beautiful! It's gorgeous sweeping rocks covered in green soft moss surrounded by pines, birches and cedars. It amazes me that no one (until now) has seen the potential beauty hiding just behind the sheds. 

Beyond that? Is a massive gravel pit that has been long since dug out and all that is left is huge massive boulders rising out of the trees.. We've been trying to get this done quickly as the black flies and mosquitoes are soon to be out.. plus all those other stinging bugs! 

I've been working hard to get things ready for this years outdoor festival that I just LOVE LOVE LOVE doing! Haweater is coming up in just a few short months and with that? Means a lot of new goodies. Down to business for a bit, I've added a link to one of the pages on our website that has some beautiful Celtic and Pagan gemstone and sterling silver jewelry. 

 I've finally found a pretty good source for the Sterling and am able to get some of the goodies done that I've been dreaming of making. Well, I guess I'm going to publish this and get back to work. It has simply been ages that I've been writing here and I miss doing it. Here's hoping that the new found sunshine and miles of forest don't keep me away for too long.

Snow Blues and Sudbury Celtic Fair

I'm giggling away here... there is still snow outside our studio windows and it's very cold out! Winter just does not seem to walk to go away this year.

Often as I'm working away making treasures, I'm thinking of far away places that I could dig my toes into the sand and have someone tanned and smiling bringing cold Margarita's and snacks.. aaahhhh.... (WAKE UP VIKKI!).. :-)

It's been a long few months of unpacking, reorganizing and getting things in our business running back up to speed again. I know, how dullllll and borrring to be reading that we've not gone on any rock hunting trips or did anything really cool this winter.

Rob DID just get back from a 12 hour drive from Thunder Bay 2 nights ago and he's got some photos loaded up on his camera from our Agate searching bay.. I think I'll load them up this weekend and post a few (He did mention that there is still far too much ice and snow to get to the water).

This weekend we've got our local Celtic Fair going on at the Navy Hall in Sudbury. If you're from the area? Drop in and check them out (It's on Regent Street near outdoor skating rink at the top of the hill). We're not going to be bringing any of our goodies this year as most of our displays are still in limbo after our move. But we'll be there helping out.

Well, my coffee cup is empty and I've got a day of paperwork in front of me (WHO HO! LOL!).. (not whohooo - but someone has to shuffle those papers around the desk and make it all look good. :-).

Note from later on.

Augh.. we didn't end up setting up our goodies at this years Celtic Fair. Both Rob and I were pretty distraught to find our displays had been damaged during the winter and spring months in the back of the shed. But on the flip side of things (since I love to look at the glass more than half full).. we're planning out new and better displays! Yippee!! I've had some ideas in my head for a while - all I have to do is chain Rob down to a workspace and take the rake and shovel out of his hands for a few weeks and they might get done on time for Haweater! :-)

I'd like to also take a minute and thank everyone who dropped into this years Celtic Fair. Rob and I volunteered (instead of vending) and simply had a fabulous time with all the great musical talents and of course, all the wonderful people who were there. Another fantastic event! Don't miss next years.. it's REALLY worth while to check it out.

Moved and photographing jewelry

I'm going to actually have to sit down and write here more often! :-)

Well we've finally moved!! It's been a very long summer of finalizing all the house details, packing boxes, living around boxes, moving boxes and then unpacking boxes. (Okay so I'm not fully unpacked yet - but it's coming along.) For the first time EVER, Wicked Stones (aka the crazy people who run the accounting/web work side of the show) FINALLY have their own office space!! Doors can be closed so that the evil cats don't show up to muck about in the paperwork. Now THAT'S a good change!!

On top of everything else, we popped into Henry's Photography Store (they just opened in Sudbury recently) and found a kit with a light tent and photo lamps. Yes, it was expensive but SHOOT! You would not believe how fast that part of the creation process is now! For years it's been a struggle to get good photographs of the jewelry on our site (http://wickedstones.com) but now? It's truly as simple as point, click, and edit the size of the photo. One day I should sit down and write a long posting about the horrors it's been trying to find the correct light bulbs and accessories for taking photographs.. arg... For anyone who is looking for the right tools to take pictures of their product, I'd seriously consider spending the extra money for a real kit from a place like this. I am kicking myself pretty hard in the rear for all the time lost over these past years. Ah well, lesson learned.

And for those of you who I've been talking to about new products on the horizon? The Rock Lab is being organized and we should have it running by mid winter! Finally! A space for all the tumblers and the new Rock Saw to live!! (Okay so we've not purchased the saw yet or the grinders, but those are on our list for things to pick up.) As it's only been a month since we've moved in, we're still moving boxes in and out of the shop outside. Sorry, no sneak previews yet on what's coming...

Well, the snow is coming down and I see myself heading out shortly to shovel our way out of the drive....

Fall Samhain Halloween specials

I welcome you to take a tour around our website: wickedstones.com as I've just posted new items for our Samhain Halloween Fall Sale.

There are going to be tons of gemstone treasures and even some beautiful sterling silver jewelry up for grabs this fall season.

You can even use a discount coupon that can be found on our website.

Enjoy!

Contest - win free jewelry at WickedStones.com

We're running the newest contest at our website and giving away a really beautiful banded Agate necklace. 

Click (link removed as the contest is over) to enter your name in the draw.Up for grabs this fall season - a fabulous Agate necklace!! This is a beautiful banded Agate with incredible colours and banding! It's got amazing patterns and rich blues, grays and earth tones. 

It has a sterling silver core in the center and comes ready to wear on a black leather necklace with a clasp. What's the catch? We'll add your name to our mailing list for the occasional newsletter filled with information, contest info, sales, coupons and more. It does not come out very often as I'm always having far too much fun making jewelry. :-)

So don't worry.. you might see a newsletter once a month or once every few months. Contest ends on December 1 and one name will be drawn at random. Good luck!

Ravens on my roof - we're moving!

This morning I woke up to the sounds of ravens tromping around on the roof over my head....

Three of them were making their presence known so that I'd go out and put some food on the deck for them. I'll be sad to lose them when we move in a few days.

Oh yes, I forgot to mention that in our blog :-)

We're moving to a new home on the 14th of October! Finally!! After almost 2 years of looking we've found a place in Wanup that is going to suit all of us. I've finally gotten a room to myself to set up office. After 2 1/2 years of working out of the living room to get my paperwork done, it will be extremely nice to be able to shut the door on the filing and take time off without having it always seeming to be waiting for me to return.

Plus, Rob has his own work shop out back that we'll be able to run the rock tumblers without me going crazy with them groaning away in the living room (that was awful!). We finally will have the room to put in the rock saws that we've been aching for so that we can start making the stone Goddesses that I've been tormenting one of our special wholesale customers with - bad me!! Rob's hoping that by early next spring we'll be able to start making hand made Rune necklaces (made of stone) and pretty hand made carvings.

It's been ages since I've posted to this Blog - it's been a summer of meeting great people at the Haweater Festival we went to in early August (thanks everyone!) and a season of wonderful orders that have been sent all over the world. With the house hunting going on and endless hockey workshops with our daughter, it's amazing that I found time for anything else besides running around at a million miles an hour. But I've loved this past summer. Thanks to everyone that we've shared this passing season with. :-)

In just 8 "packing days" the moving truck will be here, so with that said? I'm off to the grocery store to pick up more boxes.

New Family Member - Miss Acorn

Gosh, I had no idea so much time had gone by since my last real posting here on our blog...

It's been an interesting life over the past months! We've adopted a new family member to our crew. A long story short, we found this little angel at a yard sale late last fall. This is a picture of our new kitten (Acorn) and our wonderful Dog Treble.

Acorn was only a few weeks old when we adopted her and much to our surprise, she became immediately attached to Treble (the dog in the photo). I was even more stunned when Treble became "mom" to our little kitten and started nursing her. It certainly was a shock to everyone in the family but after some phone calls and research, we discovered that it was perfectly natural and actually wonderful that these 2 pets connected to each other in such a beautiful way.

We've since discovered that Acorn is a Maine Coon and destined to become QUITE the cat!! I've read that they can grow up to a metre in length and weigh a LOT! At only 6 months old, she's already larger than our oldest cat. It's been a pleasure getting to know her as she's a tremendous friend to me. She plays fetch with me all afternoon while I create jewelry - which is quite handy as she's not actually in my rock bins helping me choose the right stones!!

Speaking of cats, I've just been informed that lunch needs to be served.

New Crystals from Brazil

Oh my!!

I've just added some of the most gorgeous crystal points to our website

I've found the the most amazing Soul Mate and Tantric twin crystals, abundance crystals, stunning gems with phantoms and so many more!!

The one you see here in this picture is an example of an abundance soul mate crystal point. All of these gems are natural gems that come from Brazil.

Just thought I'd pass that along..