October Theme “People’s Choice”

[realrockhound]

Here’s the deal. It’s my responsibility to choose a theme for October. However… I’d actually like to go a different route and let the forum (YOU, yes YOU) choose the theme. So how I’d like to do this. From now to the 21st of this month 9-21-24, I’d like participation from all members to pitch ideas, of what you would like to see for a theme. On the 22nd I’ll, with your help, pick the 5 best themes (I might choose more than 5 depending on what is submitted) and create a poll that will go till the 28th of this month 9-28-24. Whatever theme has the most votes by midnight, is what will be chosen.

To sweeten the pot, I’ll throw in a small flat rate box of slabs (material tbd) to the winner. As always, since I’ll enter, in the slim chance I win, box goes to the runner up. Or I send a few boxes out depending on how the votes fall 😂

Tell your friends, spread the word. I need your support.

Love,
RRH

[rockjunquie]

Very cool! I'll have to think about this.

[realrockhound]

This is even open to people who don’t cab/enter the contests. However… all I ask, try to keep your ideas around traditional cab making so all members can participate. If there are specialty tools required outside of traditional cabbing equipment, I won’t consider those if that makes sense. I want to give all members a chance to weigh in on stuff they would like to see, yet don’t have the opportunity outside of winning a contest.

NOTE:  Pay attention to this post to keep all submissions at the top of the page. I will regularly update this post and keep a running list of submissions as they come in. As to not lose track so everyone can see whats been proposed. 

I'll elaborate more on the details of these once the pole is created. 

1. Intarsia/composite (more than one material)
2. Display/Scenic
3. Stones with inclusions (encased in clear host)
4. soft stones (3-5 mohs) with at least 3 sharp corners.
5. Metal (stone needs to include some form of metal or metallic composition)
6. Tribeunited's Crack and hole ( Cabs need to either contain healed cracks or a hole through it, can contain both)
7. Crapochons (cabs to be made from coprolite or rock hard crap)
8. 4 sides, asymmetrical

[agatewhisperer]

Hmm tough one. How about intarsia. I've always appreciated the contest pushes me to try things I've never done... And this is one of those! Also since it's October, it's a pretty scary theme 🎃

[pebblesky]

I would love to see a contest of cabs for display, which could mean: 1. they are big and probably too heavy to wear as jewelry, or 2. They are made to capture the beauty of the slab as a whole rather than cutting a small window from the slab.

I also want to see landscape/scenery cabs, brecciated cabs, colorful cabs (>= three colors that pop out) but these have been done before...

[hypodactylus]

I don't really make cabs, but I like to see what others come up with.

I really like rocks that contain 'inclusions' (plumes, dendrites, orbs, eyes, etc.) floating in a transparent 'matrix' (chalcedony, quartz, etc.)

So that is my idea: rocks that contain plumes, dendrites, orbs, eyes, or other inclusions floating in a transparent chalcedony, quartz, or other matrix.

Something like this:

Or this:

[realrockhound]

Sept 9, 2024 23:35:24 GMT -5 pebblesky said:

I would love to see a contest of cabs for display, which could mean: 1. they are big and probably too heavy to wear as jewelry, or 2. They are made to capture the beauty of the slab as a whole rather than cutting a small window from the slab.

I also want to see landscape/scenery cabs, brecciated cabs, colorful cabs (>= three colors that pop out) but these have been done before...

All of those have been done in some fashion or another. But that doesn’t mean Im against a repeat by any means. But how about this… I’ll put, display/scenic down. If you want to elaborate on that a bit more? Meaning what that would entail. I’d have to limit on size to a certain point as cabbing wheels range from 4-8 in diameter. Whole slab would be very difficult in more ways than one.

[realrockhound]

Sept 9, 2024 23:52:33 GMT -5 hypodactylus said:

I don't really make cabs, but I like to see what others come up with.

I really like rocks that contain 'inclusions' (plumes, dendrites, orbs, eyes, etc.) floating in a transparent 'matrix' (chalcedony, quartz, etc.)

So that is my idea: rocks that contain plumes, dendrites, orbs, eyes, or other inclusions floating in a transparent chalcedony, quartz, or other matrix.

Something like this:

Or this:

I put this down. Other great examples of this would be rutilated quartz or certain sagenites

[pebblesky]

Sept 9, 2024 23:54:07 GMT -5 realrockhound said:

Sept 9, 2024 23:35:24 GMT -5 pebblesky said:

I would love to see a contest of cabs for display, which could mean: 1. they are big and probably too heavy to wear as jewelry, or 2. They are made to capture the beauty of the slab as a whole rather than cutting a small window from the slab.

I also want to see landscape/scenery cabs, brecciated cabs, colorful cabs (>= three colors that pop out) but these have been done before...

All of those have been done in some fashion or another. But that doesn’t mean Im against a repeat by any means. But how about this… I’ll put, display/scenic down. If you want to elaborate on that a bit more? Meaning what that would entail. I’d have to limit on size to a certain point as cabbing wheels range from 4-8 in diameter. Whole slab would be very difficult in more ways than one.

Thanks for the explanation. Didn't realize the size limit of the cabbing machines. Then I would always love to see scenic cabs.

[pebblesky]

Sept 9, 2024 23:52:33 GMT -5 hypodactylus said:

I don't really make cabs, but I like to see what others come up with.

I really like rocks that contain 'inclusions' (plumes, dendrites, orbs, eyes, etc.) floating in a transparent 'matrix' (chalcedony, quartz, etc.)

So that is my idea: rocks that contain plumes, dendrites, orbs, eyes, or other inclusions floating in a transparent chalcedony, quartz, or other matrix.

Something like this:

Or this:

I love this idea! The second piece looks so intriguing. Looks like an erupting volcano.

[realrockhound]

Sept 10, 2024 0:19:36 GMT -5 pebblesky said:

Sept 9, 2024 23:54:07 GMT -5 realrockhound said:

All of those have been done in some fashion or another. But that doesn’t mean Im against a repeat by any means. But how about this… I’ll put, display/scenic down. If you want to elaborate on that a bit more? Meaning what that would entail. I’d have to limit on size to a certain point as cabbing wheels range from 4-8 in diameter. Whole slab would be very difficult in more ways than one.

Thanks for the explanation. Didn't realize the size limit of the cabbing machines. Then I would always love to see scenic cabs.

Sweet. I have scenic down for you. They are actually one of my favorites tbh.

[pebblesky]

Sept 9, 2024 22:42:02 GMT -5 agatewhisperer said:

Hmm tough one. How about intarsia. I've always appreciated the contest pushes me to try things I've never done... And this is one of those! Also since it's October, it's a pretty scary theme 🎃

Speaking of intarsia, I saw this cab the other day 

It is amazing to me how the curves fitted so nicely.

[pebblesky]

Sept 10, 2024 0:22:16 GMT -5 realrockhound said:

Sept 10, 2024 0:19:36 GMT -5 pebblesky said:

Thanks for the explanation. Didn't realize the size limit of the cabbing machines. Then I would always love to see scenic cabs.

Sweet. I have scenic down for you. They are actually one of my favorites tbh.

I still remembered that BC Ocean Stone cabochon. I didn't hear of any picture jaspers/stones before I joined RTH. It was eye-opening to me that a naturally formed patterns could be so scenic.

[cabby]

Oh man, I was just thinking about this yesterday, what I would choose for a contest theme! What I settled on was actually a combo of what some others have mentioned already lol. I like the idea of intarsia, inclusions, doublets… so my theme would have been “composites”. And since I don’t cab will give my idea away to others to use: I would have made a simple shape of some sort, embed it in epoxy, then use that for a doublet 😁

Anywho, my idea is “composite”, anything that uses more than one material!

[realrockhound]

Sept 10, 2024 10:03:51 GMT -5 cabby said:

Oh man, I was just thinking about this yesterday, what I would choose for a contest theme! What I settled on was actually a combo of what some others have mentioned already lol. I like the idea of intarsia, inclusions, doublets… so my theme would have been “composites”. And since I don’t cab will give my idea away to others to use: I would have made a simple shape of some sort, embed it in epoxy, then use that for a doublet 😁

Anywho, my idea is “composite”, anything that uses more than one material!

I might just lump this in with intarsia. That way, it creates more flexibility for those that don’t have the tools to do direct intarsias

[rockjunquie]

I'd like to see some soft stones (3-5 mohs) with at least 3 sharp corners. The idea is to highlight the skill involved with getting the dome and corners right, so a side picture or two showing the corners would be necessary.

[realrockhound]

Sept 10, 2024 10:54:56 GMT -5 rockjunquie said:

I'd like to see some soft stones (3-5 mohs) with at least 3 sharp corners. The idea is to highlight the skill involved with getting the dome and corners right, so a side picture or two showing the corners would be necessary.

This is a good one. Adding that

[chris1956]

Sept 10, 2024 0:32:32 GMT -5 pebblesky said:

Sept 9, 2024 22:42:02 GMT -5 agatewhisperer said:

Hmm tough one. How about intarsia. I've always appreciated the contest pushes me to try things I've never done... And this is one of those! Also since it's October, it's a pretty scary theme 🎃

Speaking of intarsia, I saw this cab the other day 

It is amazing to me how the curves fitted so nicely.

I would like to see  how they did that one.  Looks like there might be a very thin line of epoxy between the two materials. 

[pebblesky]

I think so. I am afraid the thin binding will not be strong enough, unless the cab will be glued to a pendant base. I don't know if wire wrapped these will hold up securely.

[realrockhound]

I know there’s more of you out there. I’m gonna start tagging you guys 😂.