Continuing on, building my 2026 "Work Catalog." To recap: these are simple photos of the stones just painted during the preceding week, shown in "raw" format, before they get their protective finish coat.
I'm using the Danish numbering system for weeks that I grew up with, which means weeks start on Monday and end on Sunday. As much as anything, the purpose of these posts is to create a "work log" of sorts.
From a creative standpoint, last week was a little bit better, as there were fewer ongoing events to distract me from creative things. That's not to say that it was exactly a busy week but at least I had time to sit down and paint a few things.
Protection Set:
Although they can sometimes be a little bit tedious to create — because the designs tend to repeat — one of the things I really like about doing sets is that they are not only relatively popular at events, but it's a chance to create and sell a somewhat higher priced item.
This set turned out pretty well and will probably end up selling for about $85, maybe $95. It really helps when my wife or is along for these events, because she is very good at pitching the metaphysical aspects.
Pale Stone no.1:
I guess what we find on the beach tends to come and go in cycles — perhaps dependent on storms — and it seems like lately I have been finding many more paintable pale stones than I typically have, historically speaking.
The surfaces of these stones are often a little bit more like sandpaper, which makes it extremely difficult to get a very tight and crisp design but this one turned out pretty well.
(I just realized that part of the reason the photos look a little "odd" is that the cedar twig is old and dried, not fresh...)
Pale Stone no.2:
This one is a little bit bigger and was actually with a smoother surface than the preceding, and I do like how it turned out with the very vibrant colors.
I have never really been able to ascertain whether or not the pale stones or the dark stones are more popular, and I guess it ultimately depends on what appeals to each individual person.
Stone Pendants:
Lastly, I managed to finish the painting on three stone pendants.
I actually drilled these for pendants before the holidays, but never was able to find the time to get them painted, finished, and then fitted with a cord, or a jump ring.
They're pretty limited thing for us because very few rocks we find are thin enough that they can be drilled... and once drilled, that they don't weigh as much as a boat anchor. After all they are made of rock!
We don't actually have very many pendants in stock right now and it'll be good to have these ready, with Mother's Day coming up.
Otherwise, I didn't really get a whole lot done with the Alchemy Stone business. I am still lagging rather behind as far as social media marketing goes but I did manage to get us signed up for one of the big holiday shows.
For the first time since we first started doing this particular event 12 years ago, I asked for side-by-side 6x10 booths so that we could have a 6x20 space which is really what we need to display everything. It's doubtful that we'll actually get it but it never hurts to ask!
Thank You!
If you enjoy painted rocks, do check out The Hive Rocks Project and help spread the word about Hive, while also being creative!
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