So today marks day 50 of the 100 day project as well as the halfway point in this challenge!
This morning, I got to go look at the batch of finished stones in the garage that have been sitting out there overnight and I finally got to see them in daylight. They get to stay out here for a couple more days just to make sure they dry completely.
About six weeks' worth of work, all finished and now just curing, before being photographed and listed for sale!
The one immediate task I do need to take care of, is to transfer them from the container in which they were finished to a different container with fresh backing paper just in case there is any stickiness on the backing that might cause them to end up with a little bit of paper on the back side. It's typically a fairly minimal issue but I like to make doubly sure just in case.
After all, I have a lot of energy, time, and effort tied up in this work!
The gloss finish coat helps enhance the colors, as well as protect the paint.
Thankfully, all looks well and they can now sit out here for a couple more days.
In the meantime, I am entering the early stages of show preparation, since we are now closing in on the 3 week mark. This includes taking stock of all the paper goods and wrapping materials we need to have to set up a vendor booth. It also means making sure that all our printed materials are fully stocked as well as gift bags for the stones, information sheets to hand out, postcards, business cards, even right down to handwritten sales tickets in case we end up with Internet connectivity problems.
One of the large pieces. One of the drawbacks of sending images from my phone is not being able to tell whether the photo is in focus!
Doing outside shows as a arts and crafts vendor means you have to be prepared for pretty much any eventuality. Or, at least, it serves you well to be prepared for any eventuality.
Day 50 Stone Painting:
To be honest, expecting this to be a somewhat modest day, but I am trying to stay determined here. We had a nice sunny day so I did end up spending a fair amount of time outside in the garden.
Today's Retreat Stone
However, I didn't want to slack off completely, and decided that I at the very least needed to paint another of the by now famous Retreat stones. I'm glad I'm now into the overage territory and the main order is finished. Above is stone number 26.
Then I picked out a small Stone about 1 and 1/2 in across, and painted Another Universe stone. I am still experimenting with this particular color combination.
A small "Universe" stone
I actually painted one more small stone, but it's not pictured here because it turned out that the photograph was shaky and by then I was in a different location in the house. So you'll just have to imagine it!
Day 50 Summary and Social Media Bits:
Today was a pretty good day: finished another Retreat Stone, and an additional two smaller stones. Above all, I am just glad the past six weeks' worth of painting has turned out pretty well!
Daily Twitter/X post: Check. Posted a collage-type photo of the most recent work. Also, today the twitter account reached 150 followers.
Daily Facebook Page post: Fail/Pass. Continuing to let the UFO/Paranormal announcement page ride for a while.
Daily Instagram post: Check. Collage post of new stones.
Other Stuff: As usual, this Hive post; the creative output was pretty modest again, but the "harvest" of new finished stones was most excellent; Daily shoutout to @gillianpearce!
Day 50 completed; super happy to be halfway through the challenge! I'm definitely developing good creative habits, but the social media parts remain a bit of an afterthought. But onwards I go, to the second half!
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Thank You!
If you enjoy painted rocks, do check out The Hive Rocks Project and help spread the word about Hive, while also being creative!
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2024.04.09 AS-TXT-241/211