The Year in Rocks

2019 has been a year of ups and downs. Throughout the year, I have been found (Almost) every weekend at the Farmer's Markets both in Sebastopol and Calistoga. You can count on my presence or ask most, where I am stationed. This was the first year in a long while where my booth has taken a new location. Usually, the spot where Your Spirit Rocks™ can be found is under a tree to keep the sun off of my sensitive Irish skin. Since then, I've purchased a 5'X 5' Canopy which is just a delight. It fits easily into places and allows for enough space for an extra table if needed. Sales have been pretty consistent, but have taken a dip since both the Tubbs and Kincaid fires have displaced a lot of residents on the other side of the hill. These people need to be kept in our best thoughts and prayers.

Special thanks go out to all those folks who have supported me, not only by purchasing a rock but by letting me know how much they appreciate me. I haven't always been the easiest person to be around. Especially when I occasionally fall into what is called a "Blue Funk". You and others have lifted me out of this by coming by and offering blessings of your own. Last Saturday, an Armenian woman dropped by and gave me a whole pizza to share. This and other wonderful gifts have come my way, just by being open and available to receive them ( Yes, by the way, those Affirmation sheets inside each gift bag really work! ). Again, this year has been just fabulous because of people like you. Let me never forget how much

""YOUR SPIRIT ROCKS !!

It's what I do

Yep, I've been doing this rock thing for over ten years now and have figured out that I've painted and sold over 50,000 rocks, and this is a conservative estimate! Year in and year out I've been at the Saturday Farmer's Market in Calistoga and up until four years ago, the Sebastopol Farmer's Market. They both are enjoyable and you can say that I've become a fixture at each. That admission has it's ups and downs as you might imagine.But all in all, I count my blessings that I am able to use my talent and do something I love, and love to share with others.

Many people have suggested ways to make my business more successful, and I've tried to keep an open mind about things. Obviously, it would be nice to make a profit each weekend but that has not been the case lately. The local market has been saturated with Your Spirit Rocks™, and now with the Paint and Hide movement in full swing, people are painting their own rocks and discovering the enthusiasm that one gets when first getting started. This is a good thing and yet makes my livelihood a wee bit more difficult. Sometimes this is just something to go through to get to the next phase, whatever that may be.

Your Spirit Rocks™ is more than happy to share information about how to make stunning looking rocks, so don't hesitate to let me know if you would like for me to give you a personal lesson. I do make deals if you have rocks on the ready.By the way, the rock below is a figurative piece, reminiscent of an area of the coast where I get some of my rocks.

Changing it up with Decoupage

The Rock below is a custom job I did for someone who wanted to give a special rock to a wedding couple to commemorate their special day. Although I've painted portraits in the past, I felt that because of the size of the rock, that decoupage would be the best solution to get the exact imagery one would want as a keepsake.

The process is fairly simple, although it has to be said that having Adobe Photoshop™ or Affinity image editing programs are necessary for getting the desired results. Now, Get on the computer. but before starting to modify your picture, make sure you have a perfectly flat, dried, painted rock with a color that offers enough contrast to make your image compatible with the rock.

Now, after scanning and/or opening a .jpg or .tiff file, you begin to modify the image accordingly ( i.e. create the shape and physical size of the image you want ) This can best be served by increasing the resolution of the images to 300dpi which will produce a suitable printout. You can give the picture a certain shape, clarity, text addition or flourish to make for visually pleasing output. The physical size of the photo below is approximately 3.5"X 2.5" after all the changes that were made.

The next step is to output the image to your inkjet printer. The paper should be glossy, and preferably sticky-back. The next step is to cut the image out and place it on the Flat, oblong, symmetrical, smooth rock in such a way that leaves a 1/8 " border all the way around the image. When adhering (or gluing E6000™) the picture to the rock, make sure it lies flat and does not buckle. This can be achieved by pressing and holding the picture onto the rock for about a minute. Lastly, when the glue is dry, clear-coat the image with either Triple Thick™ or Duraclear™. This will protect the picture and still retain the high gloss finish. The puff paint and glitter as a border adds a nice finishing touch. Voila! You now have a beautiful commemorative gift rock.