EDITED TO ADD- If there is anything you are interested in, email me at resonatedrock@gmail.com and I can show you what is available or even make you something!

2023 was a very busy year of markets for Resonated Rock that’s for sure! After taking a break from markets for a few years, I ran full speed into them last year! I had forgotten how much work they can be. How tiring they are. How much talking there is! But I trudged through them. I was thankful for my helpers! My “kids” took turns at almost every market, keeping me company, helping set up and tear down (load and unload the car), and engage with customers (and make sales!). Considering it was almost every Saturday and lots of Sundays from May-December, I was so very grateful for them both!

2023 was also the year where I decided it was time to push myself creatively. Over the years, ideas pop into my head and this was my year to start challenging myself to make some of those ideas a reality! It was an exciting year for me artistically as I moved out of solely doing pendants, but larger pieces of art. I started making bottle stoppers, which has turned out to be so much fun and a welcomed addition to my inventory for market customers.

An ambitious and difficult addition to my work was creating free standing sculptures that challenged myself with angles and balance. I made sculptures that balance on several different sides of the same piece and even a few that balance perfectly on up to 8 different sides! Each being a moveable piece of art that seems ever changing! I should have taken more pictures of them before they sold. I will definitely take pics of what is still available!

Another addition I added to my inventory last year was what I call “Belong Together Rocks” where I managed to make exquisitely sentimental pieces out of one piece of rock. From 2 pieces up to 6, they make the most special gift for the most special people in your lives. Each piece is meticulously polished and is a sculpture in its own right. Put them together, piece by piece, to make up one large sculpture. The thought behind it is that each piece is given to someone special reminding them that “We Maybe Apart… But We Belong Together.” I had memorable and unique mini-cards created to be given with each piece of your sculpture adding a touching way to gift your memorable heirloom. They are very sentimental and have been well received from my customers! They are challenging to keep in stock because of what a unique and special gift they are… and all made out of beautiful Vancouver Island rocks! (Click on photo to see full size)

A very happy customer sent me pictures of her “Belong Together Rock” that she gifted to herself and two sisters who came to visit her from different parts of Canada. They were thrilled with such a sentimental, wonderful gift and a forever reminder of their time together on Vancouver Island. She sent me these photos of the three of them holding their piece and it made my day!

One particularly hard, but exciting challenge were these incredibly perfect, miniature, curling rock pendants! Made completely differently than any other pendant I have ever made. Normally, I shape and polish a pendant and then drill the hole to affix the swivel at the end. These curling pendants needed to be pre-shaped, and then the hole drilled. It was nuts! The rest of the sculpting takes a lot of time and a keen eye as I have to keep the hole centred for that perfect balance and spin… then polish… THEN shape the handle and hope it doesn’t break as I polish by hand with tiny strips of sandpaper. It’s all backwards and I absolutely LOVED making them! I have some in my inventory that are left over from a Curling Tournament market I was at, and will upload them to my online store as soon as I get pictures of them all.

Taking pictures and keeping my Online Store updated has been the most challenging part of being self-employed for me. It’s why I chose to do so many markets last year. It seemed so much easier to skip that part completely! But, in reality, it wasn’t easier. It was a lot of work! And in some ways more work than just putting in the effort to pretend I’m a photographer and an online retail account executive. This year, however, I am determined to find a balance. A balance of enjoying every part of my work. Fitting in more beach time where it fills my soul finding and collecting beautiful Vancouver Island Rocks… Continuing to challenge myself with fun new carves and sculptures and creating beautiful pieces of art… Finding joy in taking great photos and videos and uploading them with pride… as well as keeping my website updated with what I’m up to (not just my Instagram, X , Facebook… even my LinkedIn profile has been getting updated before here!). I will do better! lol! Another goal would be to get into a store or two. I have a game plan with my Surf/Paddle board line that I suppose until I follow through and actually get my displays for sale in a retail shop, will continue to just feel like such a scary, unattainable dream!

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Creatively, 2024 has been off to a great start! Stay tuned for some pictures of exciting commissioned work and new one-of-a-kind pieces! Subscribe to stay in the loop!

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