More About Maine Rock Designs
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       After years of collecting the wonderfully shaped rocks along the rocky coast of Maine while taking divers out or doing L L Bean fly fishing charters, I began thinking about how the shapes lent themselves to making rock vases and candlesticks, but to sculpt a stone vase meant expensive equipment, and as a hobby it made no sense.  However, as we talked about rock vases and using pretty stones for stone jewelry pieces, an idea formed.  I was interested in changing directions, and we decided to take a chance and buy the lapidary equipment necessary to cut the stone vase bottoms and core drills to cut the rock vase openings. Our first equipment did only that – cut and drill. 

      My first stone vases were created using Maine granite stones found on the beaches.  They had been tumbled by the sea to form lovely shapes which I left as I found them.  I sliced the rock vase bottoms and drilled the stone vase openings and felt a great sense of accomplishment.  The rock vases were attractive, but the natural stone vases wouldn’t hold water for long without it being absorbed into the stone vase.  The first rock vases, therefore, were used for dried flowers only.  Later I learned to fill the stone vase openings with a marine epoxy I heat cured.  This made the stone vases suitable for fresh flowers. (You can see my polished vase and natural stone vase collection.)

      The popularity of the unusual polished rock vases encouraged me to think bigger.  Sometimes I would find a beautiful rock that would suggest some use other than a stone vase.  I began experimenting with making rock clocks and rock weather stations.  The first rock clocks I made had large round faces, were sliced on two surfaces, and polished.  Again I learned that other variations in stone clocks were possible.  I found a supply of smaller faces and learned I could make stone clocks of several sizes, some rock clocks having bases and other rock clocks resting on an uncut surface so the stone clock could double as a paperweight.  Rock clocks were a hit.  I also began making stone clocks in natural granite and in quartz. 

      Once I figured out how to make rock clocks, rock weather stations were the next step.  My rock weather stations include three instruments.  These are a thermometer, a hygrometer, and a clock.  The stone weather stations turned out to be one of my best sellers because women shopping for men have found stone weather stations to be suitable gifts for a desk in the office or at home on the mantel.  On my large rock weather stations I have had to drill a hole in the back of the stone weather station behind each instrument to allow for it to measure correctly.  The smaller stone weather stations do not require the hole for the rock weather station to work accurately. (You can see my clocks and weather stations.)

      Once I was making rock clocks and rock weather stations, I began to think in terms of other gifts suitable for men and women, particularly for the office.  I began making rock desk sets with clocks and pens.  The pens are high quality pens that use the Parker pen refills.  The pens come in white and black, and I choose the color to go with the rock.  The clocks are the same as I use in my small rock clocks and weather stations.  The desk sets make excellent gifts for graduation as well as other special occasion gifts.

      I have also created rock business card holders out of rocks using a rock and brass.  The business card holders are sometimes equipped with a clock as well.  I have plain business card holders where I use a dramatic Maine beach stone with interesting designs.  The brass holders allow the business cards to be shown in their entirety as they stand out in front of the rock.  The back of the business card holders is a beautifully sculpted rock, which is a work of art in itself. 

      Rock pencil holders are quite practical as well as an example of Nature’s artistry.  The Maine rock pencil holders come with a single large opening or one large opening and a couple of smaller ones to hold special pens and pencils.  All stone pencil holders are polished on top, but many are left natural on the sides.  It depends of the rock.  I have even had pencil holders that had deep ridges, and I polished the tops of the ridges and left the grooves natural.  Those are some of my more interesting Maine rock pencil holders. (You can see my office accessories.)

      To go along with the pencil holders I have rock letter openers.  To select the handles for the letter openers, I pick up sea-sculpted rocks with a suitable shape and feel them.  If they feel good in my hand, they pass the test.  The Maine beach rock letter opener handles are drilled and pegged as well as epoxied so that the handles will never separate from the letter opener.  They make a lovely accessory as well as a useful one.  What a unique gift!  Everyone seems to love rocks and rock gifts make great conversation pieces.  Each is one of a kind. 

      Along with the rock office accessories, I also have rock accessories for the bar and kitchen.  These include beautifully polished Maine beach stones affixed to bottle cones for stopping wine bottles.  We switched to bottle cones instead of corks because they won’t wear out or transfer the flavor of one wine to a new bottle. 

      In addition to business card holders I also make  recipe cardholders and they look terrific in the kitchen.  Imagine a kitchen with complementary accessories such as corkscrews, bottle cones, cheese knives and recipe cardholders each fashioned from sea-sculpted rocks from the rocky coast of Maine.  A Maine stone vase would set these off.  The new granite counter tops are especially suitable for the stone accessories. 

      The cheese knives come in two designs, both by Sheffield.  One is the cheese plane and the other cheese knife has the blade with a cheese fork tip.  Each cheese knife is designed for specific kinds of cheeses, the hard cheeses being better suited to the cheese plane and the softer cheeses lend themselves to the cheese blade. (You can see my Accessories for the Bar.)

      The rock candlesticks come in a variety of shapes.  One design in particular is quite popular in my hand polished line.  I cut a core from the large rock candlestick that runs through the center front to back.  I then use the core to make a small candlestick to pair with the large candlestick.  The candle is then visible through the middle of the large candlestick where the core came out creating an interestingly unique geometric design. 

      The other household item that has been well received is the beach stone drawer pulls.  I find rocks that are tumbled by Nature into a round shape.  No two are alike, but together these stone drawer pulls are charming.  Mix and match shapes and colors. 

      From stone candlesticks to rock desk sets, drawer pulls and birds.  What’s left?  Jewelry, of course.  I make a wide line of Maine beach stone jewelry products combining the unique Maine stones with sterling silver.  The sterling is good Italian sterling, and who doesn’t like the way sterling sets off a rock?  The jewelry is the one area where I often alter the shapes of the rocks.  Unlike the rock vases and bottle cones, corkscrews and candlesticks, the stone jewelry must sometimes conform to certain shapes such as cabochons and must often be made to certain sizes.  I cut the stones as needed, often working from cores that are remnants of other rock products.  By slicing the cores, I have a good start on the jewelry piece I need. See my Jewelry of the Sea and our exclusive Silver Collection.)

      Where do I go from here?  I have a prototype for a kaleidoscope.  In fact, I have made three but feel I have work to do in this area.  I am also looking into belt buckles.  And of course there is always much that can be done with the silver work and stones.

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