Storing Cabochons

I have a few blogs I really enjoy following. One of my favorites is Contrariwise Ramblings. About a month ago, Contrari posted this awesome article about storing your cabs.
http://akacontrariwise.blogspot.com/2010/05/one-can-never-be-too-thin-too-rich-or.html What a genius idea! However, I HATE taping stones, removing them can be such a pain, so I came up with this version of the cab binder. I used the clear pages my kids use for their Pokemon cards, bagged my cabs, and slipped them in the individual slots. I think this would be great for keeping track of where you get your stones from as well, because you could slip a business card right in with the stone!!

Thanks Contrariwise, you've made my life SO much easier!!!!!

WARNING: If you do this, you have to be careful not to tip it upside down, or all the cabs will fall out! Maybe someone has an idea from keeping this from happening???

Garage Sale season!!

I spent the best $5 of the season today when I bought this old fixture from a Target store at a Garage Sale. It's now set up in my eating area (where nobody EVER eats) and is PERFECT for sorting all my slabs! This is after about 30 minutes of sorting, I'll add new pictures when it's full!

I'm a Proud Wife and Mother

Today is Father's Day, and Father's Day is more of a Thanksgiving for me. It's a chance to sit back and take a look around. I am so very grateful for the amazing family I have, and I owe everything to my wonderful husband, Karl.

I hear people refer to others often as perfect, and many times they receive the response of "nobody's perfect." Well, Karl is perfect for me. He has always supported every last crazy idea that comes into my head. He has stood by me in every occasion I needed someone to lean on, and he has given new meaning to the vows "in sickness and in health".

My husband is such a modest man, I'm sure he would turn all sorts of colors if he knew I was posting this. I see that just as another amazing quality of his. And not only is he a wonderful husband, but an amazing father as well. Since the day our children were born, he has never once grumbled about helping change diapers in the middle of the night, and has a way of staying calm and patient even when I'm stressed to the max. He has always thought of us before himself.

So, looking around this Father's Day, I just wanted to say I Love You, Karl and thank you for your hard work each and every day.

Before and After Mooka

I am pretty excited to show these before and after photos of the Mooka Jasper I recently purchased from The Gem Shop. This stone was so beautiful to begin with, I held my breath while I cut it! The cabs that I finished with were some of the nicest I have ever made. I wish I would have had a bigger piece of this rock. Maybe I can find some more on our next rock trip next month!