I am very pleased to announce two great things are happening with Spike’s Stoneworks. One new and wonderful (coming soon), the other old and coming back to the internet better than ever! They will be rolled out together. This is the first of at least two other expansions. It came as a welcome surprise. It will also come to reality sooner than the other expansions.

I chose this blog to make the announcement as I have more room to explain what’s going on and why.

Very soon Spike's Stoneworks will be the exclusive distributor in the U. S. and Canada for Isomars templates ( Isomars.com ). This is being done to save you money on these wonderful templates. In the past the shipping price was more than the templates themselves. Now, with them coming from me, the shipping cost and time will be cut way down. Making them affordable and getting to you quickly.

The second part of this is my website is coming back, and the templates are going to be a part of that. I am also working hard on the gallery, more stones will have hover over and click on information than before, in the end they will all be that way but it will take some hard work to make that happen.

What does “exclusive” mean? Well as it sounds, I will be the only one. Also, all inquires for the templates I have will be referred to me from Isomars (their idea).

All of this will be handled through Spike’s Stoneworks.com and my Artfire studio.

Take a good look at these templates. They are great for lapidary and jewelers. I first promoted these with no idea something like this would happen. I was just passing on some great stuff. A month ago I had an idea that maybe I could increase their sales by selling a few from here. Thirty days later that tiny idea has grown into a wonderful thing.

Thank you for taking the time to see what's going on and hope you share in my excitement as this comes together.

Spike

My old eyes have seen a lot things most other peoples haven't. Savagery, viciousness, deliberate acts of hatred and the results of those acts. Though I have been spared the first hand experiences over the last 15 years for the most part, I like you are exposed to them through the media, what is on my mind is what we have become.

Quick example, yesterday I was in a store and the lady in front of me at the checkout had more than she could carry. She hesitated in picking up her other box when she realized she couldn't handle both of them. The clerk did the same wondering who she could call to help, I was right there and was going to walk out the same door so I offered to help. The clerk was surprised and said something about it, the lady offered to pay me for carrying it out after I put it in her car. I have been shaking my head about this for two days. What ever happened to acts of kindness? Are they so rare now that they have to acknowledged by praise or money?

I was recently exposed to a whole new culture, it was one of me first (though that exists everywhere, more so there) and I only care about me and if you are in my way I will step on you. I don't mean in business where that is common I am talking about going down the grocery store aisle. I had to take it for what it was, I didn't like it but "I" was the stranger with the crazy notions of watching out for the other guy.

Please don't misunderstand what I am saying here, I am not putting myself out as some shining example, I'm normal, but what the hell happened to these other people?

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WpYeekQkAdc&feature=PlayList&p=6484ADB8CE1B847E&playnext_from=PL&playnext=1&index=1

On Spikes mind

This has nothing to do with lapidary, but what the title says: Some of my kids have joined facebook group Make It Illegal to Protest at Military Funerals, and I am sure they are wondering why dad hasn't joined. The very first thing I have to say is that I hate the phelps (they don't deserve a capital in their name) group and what they are doing, the second or third funeral they did this at was nearby and I was livid (Myra if you are out there sorry for having to listen to my tyraids that night (I still think that any Sheriff who arrested the whole crew on even a trumped up charge would be reelected for life).

But, and as much as it grieves me to say it, they have the right to speak out. Is what they are saying and doing the right thing to do? NO! It causes so many people pain and worse at a time they are the most vulnerable. These people exploit the law at every turn, they've been doing this kind of stuff for over twenty years. Ever pinched a snake in the middle and watched it twist and turn excreting everything in its body to get away? That's Fred Phelps, and he has taught his brood most all Lawyers to do the same.

One of, no my favorite radio show from time to time has one of them (I won't say her name as I am sure sure she has google notification turned on and I don't want even cause a single smile on her face because of me) on, they goad her into singing one or two of their hate songs. I nearly retch and turn it off.

Back to the the topic, protests at Military Funerals. It's too blanket, what if one of us was killed during a war on lets say England? The President lost his mind and someone in our family was killed because of it. When walking out from the funeral a microphone was shoved in our face and we said "I am so against this, there was no reason". You are thinking apples to oranges? It's not, the law is cut and dry, its still a protest no matter the emotion either way.

They are not changing minds, nor bringing anyone other than their own brain washed family in to join their way of thinking. There will come a day that the snake will be pinched off, lawfully or not.

In the end god has the final say.

Woodward Ranch Agate

Right this very moment my friends are in very remote Texas finding rocks of a life time.

I've been there with them and wish I could be now, so it seems appropriate to discuss the name Woodward ranch agate.

Jan and Trey Woodward are the owners of the ranch, Jan tells us there are 80 different agates to be found there. Well we were allowed to hunt in a area generally off limits and I found a yellow spotted agate there that I have not seen or shown before and when I showed it to Trey he had no clue so make it 81.

Some of the types of agate to be found there are Gold Moss, Flower Garden, Black and Red Plume, sometimes mixed which is rare indeed.

Our first trips goal was the red plume which had to be pounded out of the basalt as anything laying out in the open had been picked up before (if you do that wear gloves, I got the worst infection of my life doing it without). As we hunted and newer avenues were opened up we found some amazing rock. Most of which can't be named for its complexity or it just bloody escapes us.

Needle Peak, though a hundred miles south of the ranch it is owned and operated by Trey and Jan. What a amazing huge piece of rock it is. Home to the elusive Pom Pom agate. But many others also. It is a steep taxing climb though not without its rewards if you have a sharp eye. The back side is mostly unexplored. We got a quick tour and Trey even said he hadn't been there enough to guide it properly. I know that I walked away from many Pom poms not knowing what was laying there.

There is a cost, as with everything in life. First you have to get there. It is very remote SW Texas after all. Then spending your time finding and sorting the rock, and at the end paying for what you have found after all it is their land and you are taking it away piece by piece.

Just realized I hadn't explained all I wanted to or really the main point. What the name Woodward ranch agate comes down to is a complex mixture that we just can't pin point, but that is where it came from so very special, as it was hand collected and not some commercial scoop up and promote thing.

Well so much for promises, the past couple of months have been very busy. I am back in Kansas, my cabber is still in pieces from the move because I don't have a place to work yet. But I want to continue to tell you all about different stone so:

Graveyard point agate come from both sides of the Oregon / Idaho border in the Homedale Id. area near Succor creek and the Owyhee mountains. All three of those areas produce some amazing Picture Jasper and Spotted Agate besides the Graveyard point. (If I ever come up missing this will be one of the first places to look for me, Ha)

This rock is not mined from a graveyard but is named this because it is close to the scene of a 18th century settler massacre. I've tried to find exact dates and more information on that attack but have been mostly unsuccessful.

Graveyard plume has wonderful white plumes in clear agate, there is often some confusion between it and Regency Rose agate. There is a good reason for that because Regency Rose is a variety of Graveyard but has more reds in it as the name indicates. Like a lot of names it ends up being in the eye of the beholder, in this case calling either or one or the other would be correct.

I wish you all a happy and healthy 2010.

Spike

I can't believe June was the last post here, I promise to keep this up better from here on and with new things One of the ideas I have had for this spot is information on Lapidary rocks and minerals. Probably one of the easiest ways to do that is to give information and observations on material that has been recently worked, So keeping with that I give you Noreena Jasper:

Mined in Western Australia Noreena Jasper has a Mohs hardness of around 7 according to the charts, I did this one this afternoon and would say closer to 6 for it. This was fun to work in that the colors play out and come up very quickly, I knew I wouldn't run out of color but I wanted it a certain way so had to be careful and grind just a little at a time with each process. Had I continued red would have begun poping up in the gray areas on the left and the bottom.

Noreena has a new family member, Pilbara Jasper (named for the town Pilbara near where both are found) two years ago it came on the scene at the Tucson show and it is still very popular today. Both have some of the same dramatic colors but you can tell the one from the other as Pilbara has stark sharper a tighter lines and usually they are a little bit brighter. Also cost, Pilbara is still bringing a premium price both in rough and in cabochons. I hope that will change before long but don't hold your breath.

Spike

Coming soon and Evolutions in Stone

I have been thinking about adding something different to my regular web site. There isn't a name for it yet but something like "Other interests" or "I also like" and on those pages have some pictures of the glass I collect, it is all one pattern in Vaseline glass (There is Uranium in it so it glows under black light) it was made for just a few and I mean very few as in under ten starting in 1881. I might also show some of my salt dips or open salts. I have some that are very unique and like the glass itself are rare. The thought for the glass is to show it both in regular light and with it glowing. What do think? Too silly for my website?

is a Rock and Jewelry message board forum.. Don't groan - this one is different. I have personally met many of the members including the owner and there is not a bad egg in the carton. Everyone is very friendly and there is some great wire wrapping, wire work, metalsmithing, faceting, PMC and of course all kinds of rock, cabs and slabs. I have been a member of other boards and have seen all kinds of in-fighting and arguments; this one is not like that at all - some teasing and joking but that is about it. I see it like a corner cafe, but everyone there has common interests.

The reason I am bringing this up is that with the start of summer also comes a slow period for outlets like this one. EIS has been no exception. The forum owner, BlarneyStone, is having some family matters to tend to over the next few months and with the slow down didn't know whether to keep it going, so he put it to a vote. We voted to keep it going and I am guessing the only way he could make me act responsible in his absence was to make me responsible, so I will be helping with administration while he takes care of his family. Please visit Evolutions in Stone , you don't have to join (though you are certainly welcome to) to look at the posts and pictures but I hope you do so we can hear your ideas and drool over your pictures and work.

I've rambled on long enough and my new diamond belt came in, so I'm off to get caught up on cabs.

Spike

Did a lazy day

I'm stuck with a bad diamond belt and though the day was nice and cool for cabbing I have to wait until I can get another one, soooo since Bobbi has been working on her new website Imaginations-Jewelry.com I decided to fix mine. Oh it still needs (mine) some work, it looks better than it did - SpikesStoneWorks. Some of the front page text has to be changed and her gallery page will just be her contact page and I need to add some new pictures and, and, and. Ha! This kind of work drags me down now, where I used to enjoy it. Today I went over to Clam Bayou and made a new friend you see him (or her) above. I did some searching and found it to be a Yellow Crowned Night Heron, it was not very concerned about me and since we seemed to be searching for mostly the same things we enjoyed each others company for awhile. I was looking for some of the tens of thousands of "glass fish" you know the ones with transparent skin and you can see their insides and eyes. I suspect the heron was also, since we met where they usually hang out.

I also saw my first wild pink flamingo, it was in flight and though I had camera in hand I was too astonished to get a picture in time. I go to "the park" on a regular basis and have gotten some decent pictures of Osprey and Conures but I am still waiting for a Manatee sighting, there are new buoys up prohibiting motorized boats in the inlet so maybe that's a sign they are coming around.

If you would like to see more of these kinds of pictures, I put them up on my Flickr page but make them available just for friends, since not everyone is interested in my trivial exploits. If you are, feel free to make me a contact and then let me know you would like to be a friend.

Spike

Lapidary and pricing

I am getting lax again, it just seems there are not enough hours in a day any more. I had planned to tell of some of my adventures during the move to Florida but that seems kind of late now. Most of this one will be about Lapidary, I have some ideas in my head that I need to follow up on. One is the ring cab I came up with several months ago, the hard part is done now I just need to figure out millimeters to ring size ratio. I also want to polish the outside of some rocks, not smooth but with all its bumps and ridges intact, never seen that done but I know how I will do it: by hand and very time consuming but they would make great display at shows not to mention at the house.

The last thing on my mind is pricing, basically I sell at wholesale or lower just enough to keep this going. That will not stop but I know I have to quit taking a loss, not much will change while I wrestle with this issue or after except that I will offer "some" pieces that I might not have because they were out of my usual price range. I won't go into all details tonight about what it costs me to do this but I will before too much longer in a article on JL and or here. Here is one of the eye openers though, not long ago for laughs I googled myself, a few links came up I didn't know about one was titled "Worlds best Laguna" well I didn't call it that though it was pretty damn good, someone connected with flickr did and posted it that way. I sold that cab for $18.00 (prior to the posting) and every day laguna cabs sell for $50 and $60 just so so run of the mill cabs.

Not whining just venting

Spike

Starting up again

I am going to blog seriously now. I hope it will be here unless I find some place I like better, as most of you know I moved a couple a months ago, all the way down here I would think of something to put in the blog but things have been kinda crazy and just starting to find a even keel so I want to get back at this. What I have in mind is a half and half, what I am experiencing in Florida as a newcomer and what I am doing or going to do Lapidary wise. I want this to be my part time job so I won't have to get one on top of and not have time to do it.

Always before I have done my stone work for my own enjoyment and only sold my pieces to support it, ie; buy more rock and grinder supplies. I have decided to get more serious about it the Artfire shop is starting to pick up and of course there is still Etsy. Right now I am waiting for a new 600 diamond belt as the one I have is worn out and making worse scratches than the belt before, this is what is waiting on my bench for it right now:






So this is kind of a sneak preview, the three at the top were supposed to be already done but I just couldn't get the scratches out.

Guess that is the other half for now. more very soon
Spike

i'm mad as hell

Read this http://www.kwch.com/Global/story.asp?S=9400733 So every time someone drives away from the red and blue lights they should just let them go? Who is behind the wheel? a murder from this or another state? or as the news media wants to portray a bad driver who just wants to get home. Either way you are are accountable for your actions. The man behind the wheel of the Police car usually doesn't know which. Been there done that.

I am so sick of this, they expect spit second decisions that have to be made right then to be perfect every time, and yet they are not held accountable for what they report? Though it is 50% wrong?

Gah

Day 2 on the farm

I went back, I have to park on the road as the long drive way is now blocked (with good reason) and that is kind of important to the the end of this post. I walked through what was once the alfalfa field, through the deer trails in what was wide open and graveled spaces to the edge of what was a soy bean field, planted but not harvested, I saw the same at a corn field I know why but am concerned about it.

Half way to the creek I realized I had forgotten to change into my work boots so was mindful of snake bites. There are copperheads down there and the brown leafs are a carpet, funny that I thought about that now when before if I fell I would just roll and laugh, ignorance in youth is a wonderful thing.

I got some good pictures, I spent some time on the west side of the bluff which seems to be where I did when I was a kid, then climbed back up out of the creek and went to the other side, walked almost to where I was before then down around to the other bend where there used to be Indian paintings on the rocks at the other bluff. On the way I disturbed thirty or so wild turkey and eight or nine deer. When I reached them I just stood and stared from across the bank, the face had toppled in a heap.

The paintings were long gone now, I could see the holes bobcats had kept dens in, exposed now. That part sadden me, I remember being that far away late one afternoon when the sun shrank, keep in mind that in the timber it gets dark quick. It was almost instantaneous and one evening when it happened and I was near in the same spot there was yowling from a bobcat from those rocks. I ran out of the timber onto the path and towards the house. With each step I was kicking dirt onto the leaves behind me making me think it was chasing me, when I rounded the first barn I knew for a fact I heard something there so whirled with my rifle ready to shoot, I had a half pound of pressure on the trigger before I saw that it was my dad, he was coming down to check on me since it was getting late. When he saw me running he ducked into the barn to scare me. Ha he scared us both.

Standing looking at the bluff I decided to follow the creek to the river, I can count on both hands how times I had done that even as a kid, but I had left GMs lunch for her so not a big hurry to get back and I wanted to find some of the ancient bones the new owner had told me about. Two steps toward it I heard a pack of wild dogs from that direction, then more from the east. They had split and were hunting deer. Now I am not the wisest man in the world, but I knew that I did not have a pistol with me, nor can I out run a deer or a wild dog. So I began the two mile walk back to the car.

Though I am drawn to it, that will be my last trip there, even if I was going to stay here it would be. The emotions are too much, there are near ghost images of even when I hit a cousin in the back with a big limb by mistake, I saw the horse tank it happened at and that is the first thing I thought of.

It was a wonderful visit, one I will never forget.

The pictures I am sharing are here: http://flickr.com/photos/spikesstoneworks/

There and back again

Ha everyone that knows that title raise your hand, for you are true fans.

Well I went to the old farm twice, I spent a hour with the new owners Sunday afternoon, we traded names from the area that I haven't heard let alone spoke in many years. They are good people, both of thier sets of parents came from the area and I am confident they will take care of farm well.

The house is gone, long story. Dennis and Connie tried to save it but to no avial so had to take it down. There are a few out buildings left, the smoke house included, funny how things seem so much bigger when you are a kid I stood and stared at it not believing it was the same building. I remember crawling over all the stuff stored there, it seemed like a maze at the time.

I had to use deer trails to get through what was once a wide open space between the house and out buildings, the combine would go through there and not touch anything and no hazard to. As I went past the horse barn I wasn't sure I would know where to go, It has been over thirty years since I have been to that point. One glance and I was off,

With unbridled glee I was Ten again jumping over fallen pecan trees, until I first saw the crick. I stopped dead in my tracks, that water was and apparently is a magical place for me. I saw the same trees the same exact same water as before, Ha I fell twice leaving the bluff and I laughed out loud the second time when I realized how many times I had fallen in the exact same spot.

There was a smile on my face all the rest of the day, after I put the pictures on the computer I realized I needed to go back. The lighting was wrong I had spent too much time before and the sun didn't shine on the rocks like I had wanted.

So I called them back, explained that it had been too late in the day and asked if I could come back in the morning. They had no problem with that, but the return trip is a story in its self so I will leave off for now.

Spike

Going to the old farm

Tomorrow I will be going to my grandparents former farm. I had many, many good times down there growing up. I have been taking some pictures around and wanted some from the creek that made a hard turn behind the barns, it cut out some huge slabs of limestone from the dirt. In the slabs are tremendous shell fossils, I wanted to retake a picture that I had taken in high school it won some kind of award in a state wide contest, of that creek area.

So I made a couple of calls and eventually found the new owner, I explained what I wanted to do and he not only said yes, but said he wished he would be in town on Monday (the day I said I would like to go) as he wanted to meet me and wanted to go with me. So I changed my plans and will go tomorrow.

The old farm was the site of a Indian encampment many many years ago, in the 1970s the local college had some students down there looking for arrowheads and they found the burial site. The bodies had been buried one on top of the other six or seven deep as I remember. After the data was recorded they were returned as found. I don't know if the current owner knows about that, tonight I am going to try to find the newspaper articles and whatever I can copy and take it to him. The out buildings (barns, machine shed etc) are gone now as is the house, I will do my best to find the location but it will be difficult without those reference points. Since he will be going with me I would like to show him where. I doubt the drawings on some rocks further down the creek are still there though, that is too much to hope for.

I went down there a couple of weeks ago, took some pictures around the flat bridge the creek used to flow a little over. I saw some workable rock, but they were way too big for me to take out, I hope to knock a little of it off, enough for something for me, my dad and maybe something for the new owner or his wife. (Ha I call him the new owner but they sold the farm over 20 years ago)

I might do something on flickr with all these.

Getting out there

I am on my own today so I have the time to do some things I had been wanting to do.

I joined some of you on Twitter.com , I ran out of space in the user name so I am just SpikeStonework no S on the end.

I also started a new shop at artfire.com if you sell online this is very much worth checking into, I haven't added anything yet but I hope to later this afternoon.

To those that are sick, it does go away. I promise.

Sick at my stomach

I bought a couple of things at Amazon.com a few mins. ago. I checked on them to sell from once it was a little high for me so didn't, but buy I things there every now and again, I do like the one button click to buy feature. So I ran a search on cabochons before I clicked away, lots of books and a couple of sellers, as I was looking I saw a dog tooth agate it caught my eye as I had packed some up yesterday. Now there are few agates in this world that are as recognizable at first glance as dog tooth once you know what it is, this one was listed as Rhodochrosite! Curious I clicked on the shop they are selling machine made, dyed cabs for prices I can't even get the rock for.

Don't get me wrong, I use a grinder/polisher on my cabs but a lot of thought and effort goes into each one from design to actually getting it done and shiney. These other machines are fed a rock and it is cut at random not by (ha I typed "my" the first time, on purpose?) human hand but a unthinking stamp machine. I have a real issue with that kind of thing, yeah I know everyone has to make a living but give everyone a chance.

As a example a trusted friend told me he had gone to the 2007 Tucson show, he couldn't find the booth that he regularly buys from a outfit that digs in Mexico, but did see one of the brothers walking around so asked where his booth was that year. He was told they didn't have anything to sell that they had been bought out by a large asisan country (I say it that way because I don't want to be on China's bad side, Ha) by the ton sight unseen. So all that rocks were dumped in machines that just ground out shapes and the beautiful patterns were lost.

Ok I'm done, time to figure out something for supper, er dinner sorry honey. :)

Spike

catching up

Well a few things have happened this past week. First I went fishing at a watershed lake a week ago, while fishing off the dam my feet slipped on some rocks and I fell backwards onto other larger rocks I was pretty sore for a few days and my back was bruised, I am going back there in six hours wish me luck LOL.

BACK UP YOUR HARD DRIVE, I didn't or at least didn't try until it was too late. Bad sector in a system file, now I am a old dos guy and ran a hundred dos commands trying to get around and or fix that. No way, and I was not able to back up because of the corrupted file. Reformat and start over was the only answer. I lost a lot and have no sound from programs including winamp and itunes (sob) from the reinstall. I will figure it out some day, the computer says everything is working fine HA!.

I am going fishing soon, so the not working right computer and the slow/no sale shop can bite each other.

Oh btw I did a really cool cab yesterday:

Spike

Welcome

Welcome to On Spike's mind. I have toyed with this idea for awhile but in a different way. that as a care giver. I was warned away from that a couple of years ago for the sake of the family. That seemed to be a good idea so nothing happened.

For now my care giving days are about over and I am going to embark into a wonderful journey with a woman who could be my twin, not in looks thank god, but in mind and spirit. I hope you don't take my views and take on things as hers as I was wrong once, I think it was 1968, and it just might happen again (but don't hold your breath, Ha).

By now you are wondering what this blog will be about. I don't know either, I do know it will rarely be about politics. The rest? stay tuned. Maybe it will be about some great rock I found or how the water looked on St. Pete beach after four tequila shots at the Hurricane.

Please don't be afraid to speak up either. "Just wade in and grab the shark by the head"

Spike

http://www.spikesstoneworks.etsy.com/

http://www.spikesstoneworks.com

http://www.flickr.com/photos/spikesstoneworks/