Polished Rocks

[Paulette]

Okay, as promised. Here's a picture of the first batch of polished rocks my GD and I did. It takes about a month from start to finish and has 4 steps to go through. But, I just love the way they look! I'm not sure who likes this more, me or her!



This is a little closer up, but blurry for some reason.



Another of the "group"

[ohlucy05]

That is something that you and your granddaughter will treasure all the days of BOTH of your lives. They are beautiful and hopefully when my GD gets old enough that is a terrific way to share with her.

I got a heart shaped rock over 20 years ago from my sons (aged 3 and 5 at the time) that has traveled with me and is one of my most treasured possessions- on valentine's day.

Thank you for sharing a special moment with us.

ohlucy05

[Nasoosie]

Oh how beautiful, Paulette!! Thank you so much for posting these pics! I definitely will look for a tumbler for me, as I really love beautifully polished stones. Grandkids, or not, I will like one anyway!!

[Mollysmom]

Wow - they're beautiful !!!
I'm on step 3 of the 4 step process so I have 2 more weeks for mine.
I've looked at them along the way and am so pleased with the way they're turning out.
I highly recommend a tumbler to anyone who enjoys collecting rocks !!! It's fun
Paulette, are you and your GD planning to do anything with the finished product ? My friend here at the CG makes jewelry with hers - I'm not sure what I'll do with mine. I'm just happy looking at them !!
Thanks for sharing pictures of your rocks - I love them !!

[Sparkle]

What kind of tumbler do you recommend? I had a little cheap one when the kids were young, and the noise it made got it banished from the house. Are you tumbling yours outside Trudy? Don't they have to go day and night?

[avalen]

lovely, I think they would make nice jewelry

[Bethers]

Do you have any pics of the rocks before you started? It would be interesting to see their total transformation? I love the way they look finished.

[Mollysmom]

I have a Loratone tumbler - I keep it in the under storage compartment.
It's much quieter then you'd think. I can hear it in the bathroom, because it's right under there, but that's the only time I hear it inside. You can hear it outside, but it's still very quiet. The tumbler barrels are hard rubber so the only noise comes from the rocks clunking against one another.
I forgot to take before pictures but I do plan to do that with the next batch.
Paulette, what kind of tumbler do you have ?

[Paulette]

Sparkle, Olivia got a little cheapie one for Christmas...didn't even last through the first step of tumbling! So, I bought us a Lortone. Mine is a single barrel...almost wish I had bought the double barrel. And it is pretty quiet. Compared the the cheapie one, it is really quiet!

I'll take some pictures of the untumbled rocks and post them. It is an amazing transformation.

Trudy, I'm going to try wire wrapping some of them to make pendants. I bought supplies and tools but until the eye doctor gets my contacts right, I can't see good enough to do it well. That's my excuse anyway! And if they don't turn out, then we'll just collect polished rocks!

Another brand of tumbler is a Thumler tumbler. It's comprably priced.

[Sparkle]

Thanks for the info, Trudy and Paulette. I think just having a bowl of polished stones would be great. Just runnning my hands through them is mentally soothing.

[Mollysmom]

Paulette, I did buy the double barrel one and I glad I did. I figure I have so many rocks that I'll be tumbling them for years to come - HA !!
Sparkle, I can send you some polished rocks if you want them - it'll be a couple weeks until this batch is done and I really don't have anything special to do with them so I'd be happy to share. Like I said, I have a gazillion of them !!! If you want some, PM me with an address and I'll send them when I have some done.
I'll probably try to make some things too, but I'm with Sparkle, I just like looking at them

[Sparkle]

Trudy, I really appreciate the offer, but I only have a mailing address, so they would have to go to one address and then catch up with me when I land somewhere long enough. I have a better idea...keep them as gifts when you meet one of us Forum Ladies. Eventually we will all have one, and coming from you personally it will be a wonderful keepsake. Now who is going to be the first to get a "worry stone" from Trudy.

[snowball]

Sparkle
she could send them to you at the post office where you workamp...that way it wouldn't need to be forwarded would just need to wait until you were settled there for the summer
just my 2 Cents worth
sheila

[Sparkle]

This is going to one of those, yes, but....replies. Where I will be working its a 140 mile round trip to the nearest Post Office. 200 mile round trip to the nearest Wally World. When my friend had to be rushed to the ER believe me that 140 miles was a long long way. Echo will be wondering what she's got herself into. Believe me its a whole different world there.

[dcricket]

Beautiful stones. Didn't realize they took so long to process though. Labors of love Like Sparkle's idea, would make a great little "glad to meet ya" gift.